


Meeting the Avengers (meeting family)

by Life_after_Endgame35256



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky gets a dog, Canon Divergent, Everyone lives, Fluff, Other, Platonic Relationships, Post Civil War, Reader-Insert, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve and Tony become friends again, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2020-03-06 07:43:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 38,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18846643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Life_after_Endgame35256/pseuds/Life_after_Endgame35256
Summary: You are a high school student with your best friends, Peter Parker and Ned Leeds. With the rise of the new superhero, Spiderman, you strive to solve the mystery of his secret identity. Through sheer luck and a touch of skill, you find out that Spiderman is actually Peter Parker and you try to save him when you notice him missing at Homecoming. In doing so, you meet Tony Stark and he offers you an internship at Stark Industries. When you accept, you meet the rogue Avengers, and begin to see how the the 'Civil War' really affected the team dynamics.You decide to try and help bring the team back together, and along the way you gain a new family.





	1. Chapter 1 (prologue) Family:

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I really hope that you enjoy this fic. I have finished writing and editing the whole thing but I'll probably just upload it weekly at least. This first chapter is kind of like your backstory. Basically in this chapter you are around 12 years old and when you actually start the story, you are 16 or 17.
> 
> Enjoy!

You decided to stay with Ned Leeds and his family after the accident. The Leeds family were your closest cousins and so they gladly took you in when you had nothing left. They helped you through all the lawyers and endless documents. They helped you through the police questioning and house packing. And most importantly, they helped you with the funeral. Three caskets, two large ones and a smaller one that many people couldn’t bear to look at. 

The funeral was short and sweet, your goodbyes having been said a long time ago. Family and friends arrived to offer their condolences, but you just wanted to be left alone. 

Last week, your parents had gone to pick up your younger brother from his school camping trip. They had left you at home, to your request, so you could enjoy the peace and quiet a little bit more before your noisy little brother decided to waltz back in. He was the loud one, you were the quieter on. The never made it back. 

After they had texted you to say that they had picked up your brother and were on the way back, you waited almost three hours for a 40 minute drive. In your heart you knew something was wrong, but you kept hoping that maybe they had gone to eat dinner and were enjoying themselves. But then there was a knock on the door. You didn’t knock on the door if you had the keys. 

You clutched your phone to your chest, leaving your messages open just in case. You peered out the window to see who was outside. It was a police officer. It was two actually, two women, both of which looked sombre. You opened the door and burst into tears.

The one on the left took your shoulder and guided you back inside to sit down in the living room couch near the doorway. The other shut it quietly and sat on your other side. “I think you already know why we are here. We can give you time, but I think you would like to know the full story” the one who had taken you in said softly. You briefly wondered how many times they have had to do this. You nodded your head and continued to cry, but you paid attention to what they were saying.

“At 8:45 pm your mother, father and brother were in a car accident. They were coming off the highway when a truck missed the red light and slammed into them. The passenger side was completely crushed and -” she stopped. You looked at her badge, Officer Garety. She seemed unsure as how to continue. An answer to your previous question, it didn’t seem as though they did this much. Especially to a young teenager you had her whole life ahead of her. Garety looked as distraught as you felt, though she hid it better. 

“Just say it” you spat out. You weren’t angry at her, but it was all your throat could muster. You already knew what she was going to say but you needed to be sure. Your dad had been driving that car, your mum never really liked driving it. She would have been on the passenger side. You brother always sat behind your mum and you always sat behind your dad. It was an age old unspoken rule between the two of you, and now it might have gotten your brother killed.

The other officer, Officer Ukanjiy, stepped in for Garety. Her dark brown eyes finding your tear filled ones. “Your mother and brother were killed instantly. The truck driver speeding at 117 km/h in a 90km/h zone. He didn’t seem to realise that he was exiting the highway. Your father was flung through the windshield and also killed…. If it is any help, they would have all died painlessly” she murmured. 

You nodded shakily through your grief and ask for them to leave. They look each other and shifted. “We are sorry for your loss, but we need to stay and make sure that you are alright” said Garety. You scoffed and began to feel angry, “You’re scared I’m going to kill myself”.

Ukanjiy nodded slowly. “We are not attacking your character, but it has been agreed that this is the best course of action. You are young and impulsive and have suffered a tremendous loss. We don’t want to have to lose anyone else tonight. Besides, someone in your position should not be alone”. Your anger ebbed away and gave rise to a new wave of hurt. Your family was gone. You would never see them again, never laugh with them again. Never say hello or goodbye or I love you. You never got to say how grateful you were for everything they had done for you.

You nodded and grabbed a blanket, “I’m just going to lie down here. I… I don’t want to go upstairs right now” you sniffled. Gareta smiled softly, “Of course, and we’ll be here if you need anything at all”. You began to drift off, your crying had exhausted you and you were ready to give in to sleep. You saw Ukanjiy pick up the phone and begin calling people. 

She called the station to update them. And then she began calling a long list of people. It seemed as though the station had the numbers of everyone who had to be informed and had taken the reins on doing so. You didn’t mind, you didn’t think you could have survived that many people. “Officer… Here’s my phone, could you please call everyone on my contacts I just don’t think I can do it” you whispered. Gareta nodded and took it, along with your passcode. She started from the top and you rolled over so that the back of the couch soaked up your tears.

You fell asleep to the murmurings of two police women as they told the world what happened.

When you woke up, it was 2am in the morning. Gareta and Ukanjiy were on the opposite couch upright but resting. They had done a lot for you. They called schools, family, friends, lawyers, workplaces and practically everyone who you knew. You fell asleep again and dreamt of having dinner with your family. You mum had cooked your favourite dish and your dad was teasing you about it. Your brother poked his tongue out at you, and you pretended to shoot him. Everyone was laughing and everyone was happy. When dinner ended, your dad and brother gave you a hug and a peck on the cheek and walked out of the dining room, leaving you and your mum. Your mum hugged you tight, “Make us proud” she whispered.

You woke up in tears, and as the sun shone, you started your new life.


	2. Ned, Peter and You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ned, Peter and you are pals. Flash is a bit of an asshole but he's just a kid as well so I'm not too harsh on him.

Ned Leeds was an amazing cousin. He was genuinely friendly and a bit of a nerd, but that was part of the reason you got along so well. He liked Star Wars, you liked Star Wars. It was a done deal. Your parents and brother had passed away 2 years ago, and you always strived to make them proud.

You became top of your class in science and mathematics and even got into the same high school as Ned and his friend Peter. You have a steady job as a vet’s assistant and are getting closer and closer to becoming a doctor. The Leeds were incredibly supportive and made sure that you were always okay. They had done so much for you and you were forever grateful.

To be honest, you kind of supported yourself. You are currently 16 turning 17 years old and are legally allowed to move out. You had talked in over with the Leeds, lawyers and child protection services and had gotten the green card, so all you had to do was look for suitable places. You had saved up enough money to pay rent while still leaving plenty of money left over to support yourself. It was something that had never changed; you never like relying on other people’s help. Your mum had always said, “People are nice because they want to help you. But helping by helping yourself, people are nice because they respect you” and that had been your mantra.

You worked hard for everything you had. You proved yourself at every corner to all sorts of people. The vet who ended up hiring you full time, your teachers, child protective services and basically every adult in your life. That had earned you some respect. The community knew you and trusted you, and you couldn’t have been prouder.

Of course, you loved to spoil Ned. He had been your friend when you thought no one could. Recently you had bought him a new Lego death star for him and Peter.

Peter and you had met when he had stayed over at Ned’s house. At first you avoided him because you weren’t too comfortable with new people but then you had run into his aunt. She asked if you were Ned’s sister and you laughed and said no, you were his cousin. She looked at you for a bit and nodded and smiled. She told you that she understood and that you should meet her nephew, Peter. 

You declined of course but then Ned and Peter had walked into the room. 

When the three of you had left, you had become good friends. It turns out that Peter had also lost his parents in a plane crash, and suddenly you weren’t so alone anymore.

Hanging out with Peter and Ned was great. They were both very intelligent and often had mini competitions in various subjects to see you could beat who. As it turns out Ned nailed anything to do with technology and history. Peter was a genius in science, particularly physics and chemistry. You were a whiz in mathematics, biology and surprisingly bullshitting literature or poetry. You were excited to go to school with them finally and actually work together in a proper lab. 

When you first started, you had a lot of fun meeting all the new people. You were an introvert, but everyone seemed to be friendly enough. You personally thought that MJ was pretty cool, even though Peter and Ned were terrified of her. Flash Thompson on the other hand was not a great guy. He seemed to think of himself better than everyone because of his money and smarts but you always rolled your eyes when he bragged.

Usually he was harmless but when he picked on Peter, that was something else. You were pretty sure it was out of jealousy and it was only petty things, so it didn’t seem as though Peter was bothered by it much. But you remember one time when Flash had stepped over a line and you had stepped in.

It had been before school started so there weren’t that many people around. You had seen Flash drive in with his Mercedes and you shook your head and walked to the car park. You had forgotten to do your homework and seeing how Ned and Peter weren’t in you class you had to go find someone else. For all his failings, Flash still tried in class and so he was a safe-ish option. You just had to deal with his bragging.

However, as you had approached you saw how tired Flash looked. He was angry too. More angry than tired actually. He was shoving the steering wheel and muttering violently to himself. Obviously, he was not in the best mood, so you turned to walk away when Peter found you.

“Hi y/n! Listen, I know you said you hated titrations, but I really need to get my samples done before the weekends. I already asked a few teachers and I’m allowed to use the labs at lunch. I’d ask Ned but he’s busy doing his” Peter jabbered. He was in a pretty good mood and was speaking loudly. You could only nod and agree to his requests. 

“Oh well, I guess just for you I’ll do some titrations” you smiled. You then looked over Peter’s shoulder and saw an incoming angry Flash. “Oh boy, Peter let’s just-”  
“Oi! Penis Parker! Are you too lazy now to even do your own lab work?” he shouted as he came closer. Obviously, he had heard your conversation. Peter frowned and crossed his arms. If you had to be honest, he looked about as intimidating as a red panda. Peter was even wearing a red sweater. A small part of you wanted to snicker at the comparison.

“I’m just asking for help, even you needed someone to help you out!” Peter retorted. You decided to stay out of this and stood next to Peter silently. Apparently, that was not the answer Flash was looking for and he snapped. You couldn’t remember exactly what was being said but it was something along the lines of how Flash was better than Peter and didn’t need help from anybody. You held Peter’s hand and tried to keep yourself calm. Then Flash, being the blundering idiot, he was sneered and said “Just because you mum and dad died doesn’t mean that you are special. In fact, I bet they are glad that they-” he didn’t get to finish because you had stepped in.

“HEY! Don’t you fucking dare say something like that. Fuck you Flash. Fuck you and your money and your dumbass shit for a brain. Peter has never done anything bad to you and can’t just be rude to him because you’re jealous. Grow a pair you piece of shit. I don’t care how shit of a morning you’ve had, suck it up. You do not cross that line. ESPECIALLY if I am around. You have no idea what it’s like” you shouted.

You advanced towards Flash now and grabbed him by his lapels bringing him closer to your face. You had no idea where this strength came from, but you were pissed. You snarled in his face “Fuck off and leave him alone. You want a fight. You come to me.”

You shoved him back and turned around. Peter followed you silently. The whole school was silent. It seems as though you did have an audience after all. You didn’t care, you were still livid, and you marched towards your locker. 

People started moving around again, speaking in hushed voices. It was known that Flash had a habit for harassing people for when he was upset, and more than a few were happy you had knocked him down a peg. It was obvious that you were defending Peter and that Flash was in the wrong. Nevertheless, your name, Peter’s and Flash’s were called over the loudspeaker. 

Peter’s face was pale, and he was obviously affected by Flash’s cruel idea. Flash didn’t need to finish it to know what he meant. You hugged him tight and told him that he did nothing wrong and that Flash had no idea what he was talking about. He smiled shakily and you walked together to the principal’s office.

When you reached the front door, you went in immediately to your principal waiting with three chairs in front of him. Flash already occupied the one on the left. “Sit” said the principle. You sat in the middle and saw the picture of the principal's grandfather. He was a howling commando, one of the soldiers who worked with Captain America back in world war 2.

“So, I have heard many, and I mean many, students and teachers come to me about some words that were exchanged in the student’s parking area” he paused for effect. You kept a straight face.

“Sir, please let me explain what happened-” Flash began before he was silenced. Principal Morita pulled out a school iPad and showed a recording of what happened. Flash flushed in shame and averted his eyes. You did the same. It was unpleasant, past, present and future. You didn’t see how Peter reacted, but the room was silent for a while. There was a bit of shuffling as Principal Morita put the footage away. His voice was low.

“Do I need to explain to you how disappointed I am in having received this footage? Three of my best students have been caught having a horrific argument. Flash, these kind of comments are not tolerated in my school. I have notified your parents and you have been suspended for the rest of the week. I expect a genuine apology from you to Peter. As for you y/n I understand that you thought what you were doing was right, but it is not your place to reprimand Flash for his actions. You will also be giving Flash an apology, I have notified Mr and Mrs Leeds. Now Peter, I know you did nothing wrong, but I have contacted your aunt to tell her what happened today. Feel free to skip the rest of the period to see the guidance counsellor if you feel you need it. You may all leave. “

The door shut behind everyone. It was silent before Flash scoffed and stomped off. You and Peter were left alone in the hallway. You dared to look at each other and you both burst out laughing.

The rest of the week they weren’t bothered by Flash at all. Later someone told you that they heard that Flash’s ex had keyed his car. Ned shrugged, “I still don’t think that’s an excuse”. Quite frankly you agreed.

And just like that, you managed to establish yourself as someone who shouldn’t be messed with. You are pretty short and not physically strong. But you were quick with your mind and quick with a plan. 

The rest of the year carried on normally, and you began to heal more from your family’s accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so you are sort of related to the Leeds family. If you don't really relate than you can be like close family friends or something.
> 
> Ned and Peter and awesome. Aunt May and the Leeds parents are sweethearts. Flash is a bit of an ass. You are not a weak willed flower. You are tougher than you look and not afraid to stand up to people larger than you even if you aren't that strong (Steve Rogers anyone?).
> 
> Also I really have no clue about how American high schools work so I'm just gonna wing it.


	3. A new hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spiderman is the new hero. But who could he be?

As the year had gone by you had noticed that something had happened. Something big and something secret. Peter started walking differently. It sounds like a strange thing to notice but when you saw Peter walking down the hall, you got a sense of wrong and it took you awhile to figure out what. He was more confident. He walked with more purpose. 

Maybe it was your imagination, but he also looked slightly taller and … buffer. Maybe he was going to the gym? You thought about asking Ned, but he hadn’t mentioned anything so maybe Peter was too embarrassed to say anything. As to why he might be going to the gym, that could be easily given an explanation. Recently Peter had been crushing on a girl and it would make sense if he wanted to impress her. It was kind of cute actually.

And besides, there were better mysteries to solve. Recently a new hero had popped up in Queens. He (you were assuming it was a he) dressed up in what looked like a red onesie and he would swing around the city doing small things. He operated on a really small budget, but you liked what he was doing. He wasn’t an Avenger, but he was strong and nice enough to help the small people. You wanted to find out who he was and to do that you had to ask the smartest people you know.

First you asked Ned and he seemed pretty on board. Next you asked Peter and he completely freaked out.

“Dude it’s not a big deal. As if he’ll do anything to us if he catches us!”  
“Y/n no way am I doing that. What if he does! What if we get in trouble!”  
“Peter you are one of the smartest people I know. And it’s not serious. I’m going to go out searching for this guy. I respect him. I just think he’s around our age. What if we know him?”  
“No. If you really respected him, then you’d back off”

And just like that Peter stormed off. You were stunned. Peter never got this worked up about something. He slung his bag over his shoulder and ...huh… he has a different bag. What happened to the other one?

A sudden thought hit you. What if Peter was having money problems and someone had stolen his stuff? Now you felt bad. Despite your orphan status, you were fairly well provided for with your job and the Leeds as a fallback. 

But then you kept on thinking and it seemed less and less likely. If Peter didn’t have a lot of money, then he wouldn’t really be walking around happily and confidently. You and Ned and been over at his house recently and everything looked fine. May had even made some of her questionable food recipes for everyone to try. You loved food, but even you had our limits.

Then it hit you. Peter had recently been talking about his Stark Internship. That would explain it. Ever since the internship he had been spending less and less time with you and Ned to do ‘internship things’. He never really went into too much detail about what he actually did but you and Ned managed to squeeze a few details out of him.

“C’mon Peter you’ve got to give us something!”  
“Yeahhhhh Peter. A Stark Internship is so cool. How did you even apply? I thought they were for college students only”  
“Well…. Not all of them. I mean obviously I got mine and uhhhh yeah, it’s pretty cool. You just have to work hard and stuff”  
“Duh, you have to work hard everywhere. But what do you actually do? Oh my God have you met Tony Stark”  
“Well I do lab stuff… and working with tech and some chemicals. There’s like little project things that you work on. You basically get to run wild with Mr Stark’s labs as long as you make something worthwhile”  
“That sounds awesome. What are you working on?”  
“Ummm…. Clothes? I mean well not literally clothes, like fibres to make clothes. But not like wearing out clothes, well obviously you wear them but not just casually. Like suits and stuff for uhhh cool…. things” he trailed off awkwardly. You and Ned weren’t impressed. You both looked at Peter with raised eyebrows, “Sureeeee Pete. If that’s how you want to play it”.

Peter forced a laugh, “Well, I have actually met Tony Stark”. With the new change of topic, you and Ned questioned Peter about what Tony Stark was actually like. Turns out that he was shorter in person, really blunt but in a good way, and a pretty cool guy in general. 

To be honest, you were kind of jealous but what would you do at Stark Industries? You’re not a tech whiz like Peter and Ned and that was literally what Stark Industries was all about. You wanted to look at the medical side of things and work with chemicals, medicines and people. Oh well, maybe there was a minor division you could look at. But you were proud of Peter nonetheless. High school students rarely got amazing opportunities like this, in fact you hadn’t been lying when you said that you thought Stark internships were only for college level students. Even so, you had to be the best of the best.

Peter was probably exhausted so you decided to leave Peter alone. But that wouldn’t stop you from the mystery of the new hero. 

The last person you asked was MJ. She looked at you for a bit and then shrugged, “Why not, sounds like a fun side project”. You grinned and went on your merry way.

After school you were walking with Ned back to his house when you saw Peter. That was strange, Peter doesn’t live in this direction. Maybe he was going out? You checked your phone, May was on day shift so she would be back at home. It seems unlikely that Peter would purposefully miss spending time with her. The internship couldn’t be at this time could it? 

“Hey Ned, are you going to finish the Death Star you and Peter were working on” you asked. Although you loved Star Wars you could not, for the life of you, focus on that many little pieces and put them together. Peter and Ned loved it, so you left it up to them. Bro bonding time they called it. 

“Holy crap I forgot all about that! I’ll go over right now so we can finish it. We’re so close, it’s going to look awesome when we’re done!” he yelled, and you smiled. You wondered if Peter would be home, but you figured it would it would be alright. May would look after Ned, although she might have to keep her food away from him for his safety. 

You both walked back to the Leeds house and Ned went to go get the death star and you decided to start your investigation into the new Queens hero, spider boy...whoops Spiderman.

“Have fun and send me pictures when you’re done!” you called out to Ned when he left the house.

“Will do y/n!” he called back, and the front door closed.

You started your search on Spiderman. First you pulled up all the footage of him you had. Mostly in came from YouTube but a few news websites had some new pictures and videos you hadn’t seen before. You flicked through all the pictures and found the ones that were the clearest.   
“Now what should I be looking for? Maybe I should start with where he spends the most time? His physical measurements?” you muttered to yourself. 

You glanced at the photos, maybe you could try and figure out his height and stuff like that, you went through the photos and found a clear one where he was standing up. He seemed to be next to a store of some kind. You looked closer, the store should be in Queens and if so, you can find it easily. It wasn’t that big of a city and you had a GPS on your phone. You looked for any defining features to try and narrow it down. You pulled open google maps on street view and began going through it. You recognised some of the skyscrapers in the background and you used them to position yourself. It was all a matter of trial and error to get the right position.

You clicked through a few more streets until you found the right angle. “Okay, so it must be around here. Maybe further back…. Oh, look there’s a shopping centre nearby. Please be it…. please… please” you checked, and it was a match. Luckily for you, you knew roughly where it was. You checked the time, it was only 4:30pm so the sun was still up and everything. You decided to check it out. You grabbed a bag with a tape measure and told Mrs Leeds that you’d be back soon. 

“Stay safe y/n!” she told you and kissed you on the cheek. You smiled and told her that you would try your best. 

You set the place on your phone. It was a 20 minute walk, but you decided to take a bus. Your dad had been big on using public transport or walking to places, so you knew your way around bus and train stations and their routes pretty well. It was kind of ironic because you had a horrible sense of direction so your whole life, how to get places had been drilled into your head.

It was only a 5 minute bus ride and once you arrived you walked around to try and find the right building. It was brick and had some old fashioned doors. You kept walking until you rounded the corner and found it. Turns out it was a cafe of some sort. You grabbed your tape measure and measured the building’s height. Or at least, what was in the photo. From there it was just simple ratios to get Spiderman’s height. Pretty easy. To reward yourself you bought a chicken sandwich. It was amazing. The chicken was juicy, and the sun dried tomatoes were the best you had ever eaten. The bread was that fancy stuff and whatever sauce they had used was incredible. Even though it was a bit pricey you would definitely come back again.

On the bus ride back, you pulled out the picture and began your calculations. In the end Spiderman must have been around 170-175cm. You settled for the middle and when with 173cm. Seemed about right.

You walked back into the house and went straight back to your room. “Okay, what next?” you asked yourself. You decided that you might as well get the rest of his measurements. It could really narrow it down. So, you calculated his foot size, chest length and torso length. You then drew a scale picture. You weren’t the best artist, but you were definitely better than Ned and Peter. You also drew across lines saying the lengths you had calculated. You figured that if the person who played Spiderman stood next to you for long enough, you’d be able to figure it out.

Next you printed out a large map of Queens and marked all the different places Spiderman had been to. You were trying to narrow down where he spent the most time to try and get a clue as to where he might be living. As you were marking more places your door opened and Ned walked in.

You checked the clock, it was only 6:30pm. A bit earlier than expected. “Hey Ned, how was Peter’s” you asked and put down the pen in your hands. Ned didn’t really see what you were doing. He seemed kind of dazed and you just noticed the bag in his hands. You peered inside and it was the Lego death star. Sort of smashed to bits. “Dude! What the hell happened? You loved that thing!” you exclaimed.

This seem to snap Ned out of it. He snapped back to alertness, “Oh that…. That was an accident. I uhhh dropped it when Peter cli- came in” he stammered.   
“Why would you drop it when he came in” you asked, not mentioning that you noticed his slip up. “Umm, he was changing so yeah I kind of dropped it” he said. You narrowed your eyes, “Why would he be walking into his room if he was changing?” you asked. Ned looked like a deer in headlights. 

In a desperate change in subject he came over to your desk where you were working on your Spiderman theory. “So, uhhh what have you been working on? I didn’t know you did art.”  
You rolled your eyes and allowed the conversation to change, “I’m working on the Spiderman stuff remember” you said and then proceeded to tell him everything you had figured out. You looked at him and if he looked like a deer in headlights before, he looked like he had watched his friend been run over. “That’s really…. cool. Listen I just realised I forgot something at Peter’s, and I have to go back, bye!” he yelled as he practically ran out of your room.

What on earth was going on with those two?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So obviously a new hero is exciting and trying to figure out who he actually is would be such a fun activity for a bunch of high school students. You are resourceful, maybe more so than you think.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Getting Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You begin to unravel the mystery of Spiderman. Peter and Ned are plotting against you. MJ is on your side. A few discoveries are made.

The next day Peter caught up to you in school. “Hey y/n, so you know how I said that stuff about the Spiderman hunting that I didn’t want to be a part of. Well I changed my mind and I would love to help you and Ned out!” he smiled. You weren’t expecting him to change his mind so suddenly, but you weren’t going to complain.

“MJ is in on it too by the way. Get Ned to tell you everything, I have to go find MJ” you said and walked away.   
“Wait, MJ is in on it too!?” he exclaimed at your back.  
“Yup!” you said and turned the corner, missing his look of anguish.  
“Oh God, this is the worst timing in the world” he muttered.

You found MJ in the library with her earphones in. You approached her slowly and waved a folder at her. She unplugged one of her earphones and raised her eyebrows for you to continue, “Okay, so last night I was trying to figure out more about Spiderman and I was able to calculate his measurements. I tried to draw it myself but then I realised that you would be a much better choice and so here we are. I can give you a picture and the numbers for you. I just wanted a scaled drawing, if that’s alright” you told her. 

“Alright then. Give it here, I’ll give it to you when I’m done” she said and went back to listening to her music. You smiled and gave her everything she needed. You knew that even though she didn’t seem that invested, she’d do an amazing job. That’ what you liked about MJ, she was all about action.

You went to class and carried on your day as usual. At lunch you were sitting with Peter and Ned and they began talking about Liv- Peter’s crush. You agreed that she was pretty, and she was also really smart and friendly too. Personally, you could see Peter and her together, but Peter was always too shy to say anything. You tried to get them into conversations together and it was sweet the way they both stumbled.

“Just ask her to Homecoming, she’ll say yes for sure” poked Ned.  
“Yeah, you guys would look adorable together” you pretended to swoon, and Peter stuck out his tongue.  
“Easy for you to say, you’re a girl. You don’t have to do the asking” he retorted.  
“Hey now, girls can ask too you know!” you grumbled.  
“Yeah but you won’t” chimed in Ned. You groaned and at back, “Fine”. They won this round. You saw MJ approaching with a book in one hand and the folder you had given her in another. “Wow, that was quick!” Thanks, so much MJ!” you smiled. She smiled back, “No problem”.

You moved over and she sat down next to you. You saw her drawing and she truly went above and beyond. She had even jotted down notes about what his facial structure probably was. Peter and Ned shared a quick look before going back to eating. The rest of the lunch time was spent in comfortable conversation. Turns out Peter and Ned weren’t so scared of MJ after all.

“Hey guys, so I was wondering if you wanted to go over all the Spiderman stuff sometime this week. Maybe even this afternoon if you are all free. We can go to the library or something after school” you said. They all agreed, some more readily than others. Peter and Ned were a bit hesitant. You decided you’d speak with them later. You figured that Peter was still a little scared and that Ned was picking up on it too.

The next class you had was Chemistry, but Peter and Ned sat together so you’d have to wait. Luckily, after that you had an opportunity. Ned had modern history, but you and Peter had advanced mathematics. You sat together at the back of the class, despite the fact you were the best students. Normally you were miles ahead of everyone else, but they had to put you somewhere. Peter was ahead too, but mostly because you had intense study sessions (*cough*tutoring). The teacher often left you too alone so you figured it would be okay if you talked in class a bit.

You walked in and sat next to Peter at the back and set all your books out. There were talking about permutations and combinations, something that was pretty easy, so you decided it was okay to talk to Peter. 

“Hey Pete… you’ve finished all the questions, right?” you murmured. He looked up at you and nodded, ‘Yeah, why?”.  
“No reason” you replied and went back to doodling in your margins. You waited a little bit before you started talking again, “So Peter, I was just wondering if you were okay with all the Spiderman theories. I know that you feel uncomfortable and I just wanted to let you know that this isn’t 100% serious. Just something I’m doing for fun. And besides, I’m good but I’m not that good.”  
You waited nervously for his reply. In the end he turned to you, “It’s alright. I’m just that I’m worried if S.H.I.E.L.D decides to step in because let’s be real here, you are just good. You just don’t try”.

You chuckled and fist bumped his shoulder, “Aw thanks Pete”. He smiled and nudged you back, “All good, just. Be careful”.

“Now I’m assuming that you guys are finished” chimed in the teacher. You and Peter jumped before you turned to the front to the teacher who was raising her eyebrows. You both smiled, sheepishly, “Yes Ms!” you both said. She shook her head and gestured for the two of you to stop talking.

You smiled at each other before going back to your work.

The whole day you were planning and making notes in your folder. This folder contained MJ’s drawings and everything you had been working on. This included the clippings you had as well as the map and any other notes you had made. Even though you weren’t that serious about the Spiderman hunt, Peter’s concern resonated with you and you didn’t feel safe putting everything online. Thus, you had kept all your notes written down on paper and in one safe place. 

When school ended, the four of you walked down to the local library to a private room you had booked beforehand. “Don’t worry guys, when I get my own place, we can do it there. But for now, this will have to make do” you informed them. Now, down to business, “Okay so I was thinking about what we were going to do. I was thinking that we could split up. Me and Ned can continue mapping out all the different locations and try to narrow down where Spiderman hangs around the most while Peter and MJ can search for any new information about Spiderman. Lately he has gotten a new suit and has been much more active, and we want to know why and how. He must be getting sponsored by someone and we want to know why. Sound good?”  
“Yeah sounds like a good idea to me!” said MJ. Peter and Ned nodded along. “Well then, let’s get started”.

You and Ned were working hard by yourselves. Although most of the pictures or sighting you had of Spiderman had named locations, a few of them didn’t and so you and Ned basically had to do what you did to find the cafe. It took a while but the map you had eventually had most of the sightings along with dates. Some people had even noted that it was in the afternoon and that seemed to be the main trend. On weekends, Spiderman seemed to branch out more but still disappeared around a certain time. You had convinced Ned to try and hack into surveillance cameras around the city. You had made a list of the most likely shops and cameras that would sight Spiderman. Again, it was a lot of trial and error to get the right places. Like any good mathematician, you were trying to look for trends in the data you had been given.

Peter and MJ were discussing the new suit that Spiderman had been given along with his web fluid. They were both trying to source all of his stuff and come up with a list of organisations or people that could have given Spiderman his suit. Peter was a bit slow to come around but now he seemed pretty into it. To be honest, playing detective was pretty fun.

You checked the time, it was almost 7:00pm and Ned was getting a phone call from his parents asking if we wanted them to drive us all back. You all happily agreed. You had all been working pretty hard and were tired. 

You all packed up and were driven back home. You needed a new folder, this one was getting a bit bulky. “Night Ned” you said as you went into your bedroom. He waved you night back and went into his, clearly exhausted. In the end he managed to use your laptop to hack into a few surveillance cameras and had left you instructions on how to get into them whenever you wanted.

Before you went to sleep you reviewed what your investigation had discovered.   
You and Ned had managed to draw circles as to where Spiderman seemed to be spending the most and least time. It was still fairly broad, but it was progress enough. You had figured out that Spiderman’s limit was roughly 3 hours away from where you lived. At times of the early morning like 3:00am or 4:00am, Spiderman seemed inactive or patrolled a closer area that was only 1 and a half hours away from where you are.

You also concluded that he must either have a day job that doesn’t include the weekends, or he attended college or high school still. Judging from his stature and descriptions of his voice, you believed it was safe to assume that he was your age or up to 3 years older. 

You also believed that he had to live up to half an hour away from you. This was still a bit of a stretch since you didn’t really have enough to data to actually narrow down precisely what area he lived in, but you figured that everyone needed to sleep and 3 hours away and back was a long time if he lived somewhere else. 

None of the surveillance camera feeds had much about Spiderman either so that would need some more work. On the other hand, Peter and MJ had come up with some great information. To be honest it was a lot of theory work, which is why you put MJ on the job. She could connect things that no one else could see and she often allowed a new perspective. They had narrowed it down to S.H.I.E.L.D, Stark Industries, the US Government, Hydra and Hammer Industries. You thought that it was safe to cross out Hydra and Hammer Industries.

Hydra was just for laughs put on there by MJ and Peter so that went straight away. As for Hammer industries, you knew that Tony Stark and Justin Hammer didn’t really get along and so it was unlikely that he would let Hammer get to Spiderman first. Besides, the suit that Spiderman had now seemed more like Stark Industries tech than anything else. You also decided to rule out the government too. If the government had a new hero then they would probably try to parade him around a bit more, like they did with Captain America when he first became a thing. It was unlikely that they would let him stay the ‘friendly neighbourhood Spiderman’ that he was.

You were now faced with the choice of S.H.I.E.L.D or SI. MJ and Peter and circled and commented that it was most likely SI. Quite frankly you agreed. Like the government, if S.H.I.E.L.D got a new hero, they would be putting him on missions left, right and centre.

Besides, it wouldn’t be out of character for Tony Stark to be sponsoring the Spiderman. You jot down a few more notes before putting your pen down and yawning. It was 10:00pm and you decided that that was enough for tonight. 

You went to bed, unaware of the hero you had been hunting, sneaking into Ned’s room to discuss how to foil your scarily close theories.


	5. Meeting Spiderman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally you are face to face with the elusive hero. But he gives himself away. Whoops.

For the next few weeks you had to put a halt on your Spiderman campaign. You had to focus on studying for your exams and your job. Recently the vet surgery you had been working for had expanded and now there were more jobs that you had to complete. You knew it wouldn’t be like this forever since they were deciding to hire more, but it came with a temporary pay rise that you were completely fine with accepting.

You had also found a great apartment that you thought would be perfect for you. Well, actually Mr Leeds had found it after being recommended by his work friends. It was small but conveniently placed next to large shopping centres, bus and train stations. The view wasn’t incredible but there were vacancies on higher floors that wouldn’t be too bad. 

As for the apartment itself, it had 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. The toilet was in a different room from the shower, which was small, but you weren’t expecting much. It was large enough to move comfortable in and seemed to be made specifically for students. There was a smaller space near the kitchen for studying and was connected to the living room. It wasn’t much of a living room but there was a couch and a TV that you doubted you’d ever use. This was connected to the kitchen which was larger than you thought it would be. It came fully stocked with a fridge, microwave, oven and tons of cupboards for storing things. There was a granite bench that you personally liked the best. It was long and stretched out across the whole length of the kitchen so you could eat on it or just use it to put stuff on. You thought that the whole place was just what you needed.

Now you just had to get your finances in order. The rent was higher than you expected but it was still affordable. Mrs Leeds was helping you make a budget and telling you how to prepare for grocery shopping and other things you weren’t really familiar with. This gave way to a small ache, wishing that it was your mother explaining these things to you. Mrs Leeds must have noticed that you had withdrawn a little bit as she smiled and hugged you before telling you that you could do this another time. You appreciated the gesture but asked for her to continue.

Also, the academic decathlon for your school was coming up and you really wanted to go. After Peter had received the Stark Internship, he had quit the team saying that he had no time, but you and Ned had strong armed him into joining again. 

Once again Ned and Peter were keeping secrets and while you felt a small pang at being left out, you knew that they were friends before you and so they would obviously have their own secrets. You just ignored it and focused on your own work.  
When you all made it to the decathlon you and the rest of the team chilled out at the pool. Surprisingly Peter was absent. Flash was making stupid jokes again, but you ignored him. You thought that Peter would love to come down and spend some time with Liv, but apparently not. Ned was also missing for a while before he told you that Peter had gone to sleep. You shrugged, “Alright then”.

The next morning Peter was nowhere to be found. You and about everyone else on the team wanted to wring his neck. Even Flash was visibly pissed off the Peter hadn’t come, even though he covered it up with his cocky self. Everyone knew that Peter was one of the best and you guys had a higher chance of winning if he had bothered to turn up. You glared at Ned until he offered the sorry excuse of “He crept out while I was sleeping! I have no idea where he is!”

You scoffed, “Yeah right. I know that you too have been hiding something from me and I swear that if that is part of why Peter is missing, you’re both going to be in a whole heap of trouble”. You then turned back to MJ and started making plans for what you were going to do at the Washington Monument. 

You never really got a lot of opportunities to travel so you decided to make the best of it and go with the rest of the group up. You expected a cool view at least, what you did not expect was for a bomb to go off.

You, Ned, Liv and a few others were trapped in an elevator. You had broken out into a cold sweat and your hands were shaking. But your mind was clear, “Stop moving! Someone is coming, there are helicopters outside. Just stay calm and we’ll be alright!” you shouted. Everyone seemed to be a bit of a mess, yourself included, but giving order seemed to help out a bit.

Suddenly the elevator lurched, and you all screamed. Then you saw a flash of red and blue. “No way” you breathed. It was Spiderman. He had gotten here really fast. Suspiciously fast but this wasn’t the time for you to be theorising. 

The rest of it was a blur as he rescued everyone in your group including a close call with Liv. You were all taken out to ambulances who wrapped you in blankets and asked if you were feeling dizzy. You told them you were fine, you just really wanted to rest. After a little while they let you go back to your hotel rooms and you just collapsed on your bed and napped until the next day.

The bus trip home was full of chatter. Everyone was talking about how they had seen Spiderman and how cool their trip was. You agreed. It’s not every day you almost get blown up and then saved by a superhero. You joined the excited chatter, telling Peter that he really missed the experience of a lifetime. He laughed and said that it was fine. You hugged him good naturedly, “Spiderman saved Liv you know. It was so cool, you might have some competition Parker!”. He blushed and turned away from you jokingly.  
Even Ned joined in on the teasing and Peter’s absence was soon forgotten. 

When you got back home with Ned, the Leeds smothered you with blankets and hot chocolate asking if everyone was alright. You both happily informed them that it was awesome. They smiled and rolled their eyes at your responses. You went into your room to resume packing up your things- getting ready to move out during the upcoming holidays after Homecoming.

As you were packing up your textbooks, you stumbled across your Spiderman folder. It was the first one you had ever made including the rough map and the sketch that MJ had made. 

You scanned the map and you were suddenly alert. Whatever sleepiness you had before vanished as your mind began to piece things together. 

You ran around your room gathering all of the research and evidence you had collected on Spiderman and spread it out so you could see everything clearly. The map laid spread eagled over your desk and smoothed out. Your notes had been pinned up on your wall and you had a blank notebook ready to jot down the thoughts that were forming in your mind. You had no idea where this sudden epiphany had come from, but you needed to use it before it disappeared. On your bed were the photographs and sketches that you had accumulated over time that were the of the best quality.

You stood back for a second taking everything in. You began moving around grouping things and double checking things on the internet.

You looked down at your notebook to see what you had scribbled down.

● Spiderman was about 173 cm tall with a lean but muscular figure  
● Most likely a Caucasian male  
● Has super strength but manmade web fluid.  
● He had to live somewhere in Queens. Probably close by to you by about 30 minutes  
● Most likely a high school student- has a high voice and uses teenage slang   
● Connection to Stark Industries and/or Tony Stark  
● Was in Washington DC at the same time as you- somewhere that was nowhere near Queens

Those were the main points that managed to collect. The evidence was damning but you still couldn’t believe the conclusions you were drawing. There was no way, that Spiderman was Peter Parker!

You looked at you notes again and added extra reasons.

● Spiderman was about 173 cm tall with a lean but muscular figure  
Peter was about 173 cm tall. You remember from when you were measuring heights. He had also gained a large amount of muscle in the past year. You found and printed a picture of Peter and compared them side by side. The physique matched almost perfectly.

● Most likely a Caucasian male  
Again, this fits Peter’s description. From the notes MJ had written about his facial structure, it also seemed to match up fairly well

● Has super strength but manmade web fluid.  
Peter has shown to be significantly stronger than when you first met him. He also has the skill set needed to make up the web fluid. Peter is definitely smart enough.

● He had to live somewhere in Queens. Probably close by to you by about 30 minutes  
Peter lived about 15 minutes away. It would make sense that he could only travel a certain distance away. 

● Most likely a high school student- has a high voice and uses teenage slang   
Voice was similar to Peter’s. It would make sense for Peter to be unable to attend a lot of afternoon meetings since he had Spiderman duties. Also, you matched up the days May was on the graveyard shift and it matched the days when Spiderman was the most active at night. The opposite was true when May got to spend time at home. Whenever exams were coming up, Spiderman would be less active, but you would see Peter around more.

● Connection to Stark Industries and Tony Stark  
Around the same time Spiderman got his new suit, Peter got his Stark Internship. He was secretive about it and only mentioned making new clothes. This could have been his terrible attempt and lying and linked it to the first thing he thought of, his new suit. He also seemed to have worked with or at least met with Tony Stark. 

● Was in Washington DC at the same time as you, somewhere that was nowhere near Queens  
Peter went missing the whole night of the Decathlon. There were reported explosions or some sort nearby where some shady people were doing business. Again, Peter was missing at the monument where Spiderman had come to save everyone. Why would Spiderman suddenly appear in Washington? He had paid particular attention to Liv and Ned, something that made sense for Peter. He liked Liv and chances were, Ned was in on it. That would explain why he had been so reluctant to help you out and why Spiderman had suddenly acted so erratically and creating anomalies in your data after you are meeting with them. 

You thought about it a bit more and the pieces began to come together. Something in Ned’s bag had set off the explosion. It could have been something Peter gave him to keep safe. It seemed to have activated after being x-rayed.

Sometimes Peter would seem to be a little injured, but it would miraculously heal completely in a matter of days. He had also displayed remarkable strength that shocked you. He had also been eating a lot. You just attributed this to his gym training but if doing an assignment about Captain America had taught you anything, it was that with great strength came with great metabolism.

You had a sudden idea to check any security feed near Peter’ s house and sure enough your theory was cemented. There were many Spiderman sightings and a few months earlier when Spiderman got his new suit, a very expensive car belonging to Tony Stark was driving around Peter’s neighbourhood. Ned must have tried to hide this from you, and you felt annoyed, but you understood why.

You leaned back on your chair, triumphant. “Well Peter, it looks like I am that good after all”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so in case you haven't picked up on it yet, this is taking place during Spiderman homecoming. The fic will mostly follow the plot of a few movies but will mostly diverge when it comes to infinity war and endgame and stuff. I'm just trying to (kinda) stay true to the universe and what would realistically happen.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Also I guess pixelation could have been used for measuring everything but I have no idea how it works soooo, manual it is.


	6. Tony Stark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're haven't told anyone that you know about Peter's super hero identity. But when you see him missing at Homecoming and Ned visibly stressed, you decided to take action. Luckily a certain billionaire, playboy, philanthropist is in town.

Having figured out the Peter was Spiderman and that Ned was helping him really let you cruise through the rest of the year. You felt satisfied with yourself and so you focused more on school and moving out. A boy named Jack Winchester has asked you to homecoming and you had said yes. He was a sweet guy but sometimes he was a bit clueless. His two older brothers, Sam and Dean, looked after him so he was always going out on hunting trips with no time for catching up on the latest movies. That’s where you came in, making sure you caught him up on the latest pop culture.

Peter and finally asked Liv and he was going over to her house now to pick her up. You and Ned had placed bets as to whether or not he could actually do it and now you owed Ned 10 bucks. 

You had also noticed that the Spiderman activity had dialled down since Peter was around more. There seemed to be an incident on a boat that involved Iron Man and the FBI and since then Peter had been a little down and Spiderman disappeared for a little bit. You figured that Tony Stark had taken away the suit after hearing Peter and Ned whispering about when they thought you weren’t listening. 

The night of homecoming was great, and you were enjoying yourself with Jack. But that’s when you saw that Peter and Ned had disappeared again. You shrugged it and kept talking with Jack. You were teasing him that his brother, Dean, had refused to let Jack drive his car. It was a beautiful car, a black 1967 Chevy Impala, and you could understand why Dean wouldn’t want to let Jack drive it. Jack usually came to school on a motorbike and was known to be a little… reckless.

Then you heard Flash come in with his date. He was late, which was unusual but then he explained why. “Sup losers, I helped out Spiderman tonight! He needed to use my. He even knew my name!” he crowed. You paused and looked away, but your mind was churning, why would Peter need Flash’s car? Where was he going?

As you were musing, you saw a teacher bringing out Ned who was visibly distraught. He kept checking his phone and you knew that something was very wrong. Jack touched your shoulder, “Hey, is your friend okay?” he asked softly. “I’m not sure. Jack I’m sorry but-” you began. He cut you off with a small smile, “It’s okay, family doesn’t end in blood, right? If your friend needs help, then you should help him. Tell me if there’s anything you need” he said. You smiled and hugged him. You knew that Jack was adopted by his two older brothers and that he understood you better than most. “I might need to borrow your bike…” you said. He lifted an eyebrow but gave you his keys and told you where it was.

You marched over to Ned, “What happened? Where is he?” you demanded. Ned stammered, “I ...I don’t know… in the bathroom maybe?”. You pulled him roughly aside and hissed, “Cut the crap Ned, I know about Spiderman. What happened?”. Ned looked shocked but the look in your eye told him he had better get himself together soon. “He’s going after some bad guy, but I lost communication with him. He’s not answering but before we got cut off, I heard an explosion and I’m worried. He doesn’t have the suit anymore, so he doesn’t have any real protection or comms!” he whispered furiously. 

You were equally frustrated and scared, “Okay, give me the address. I’m going to get help”. Ned just nodded and you put the location in your phone, “What are going to do?” he asked. “I’m getting Iron Man” you said as you rushed out. 

As you ran out you put your hair up and changed your shoes into your gym shoes from your locker. You also grabbed your spare leather jacket. You knew that Tony Stark had a press conference tonight and that it was your best chance at finding him. You found Jack’s bike and sped off.

In return for watching the whole harry potter franchise in one sitting with Jack, he taught you how to ride his bike. Turns out you were way better at it than him. That being said, you were terrible at driving cars.

You knew your way to the press conference and were travelling as quick as legally possible. You knew it might be a tough bet, but it was all you had for now. Tony Stark might not even believe you and have you thrown out. On the other hand, you might not even get that close. If that was the case, you needed a backup plan. You figured that you’d go try and find Peter yourself with the police on speed dial. 

You arrived at the building and were stunned at the number of photographers. God, with all the flashing lights you thought someone had to have gone blind. You wondered if you should park but then you would get lost in the sea of other people desperate for a peak at the famous Tony Stark. You had to count yourself lucky that he was actually in Queens when you needed him. You suspected that it might be because he still had Peter’s suit and was waiting to give it back.

“God I really don’t want to be arrested” you prayed. You circled the event until you saw Tony Stark walking out. Part of you wanted to smack yourself for your stupid plan but you knew you had to get his attention somehow. 

Revving up the engine you sped up towards him screaming at people to move out of your way. You were getting closer and closer and you saw bodyguards getting out their guns. Your blood ran cold, but you got closer. Tony Stark for sure had noticed you and pro: he wasn’t running away, con: that was because he was getting ready to blast you out of the pavement. Once you were close enough you leapt off and fell to the ground. You took off your helmet and Mr Stark paused, probably looking at obvious lack of weapons or anything resembling danger at all. As the bodyguards closed on you screamed as loudly as possible, “PETER IS IN DANGER!”.

You didn’t see his reaction as you were dragged up and taken away. “Wait! Hold it, I know her” a clear voice called out. Tony Stark’s eyes were sharp, and he came towards you and put his hand over your shoulder, “It’s all good boys, she’s my pet sitter. She’s a bit dramatic but she’s good at her job!” he called out cheerfully.

You almost rolled your eyes at his excuse and his backhanded compliment. He told someone to grab Jack’s bike and he took you inside. He guided you through the large building to the back where his driver was waiting. “Get in and tell me everything” he ordered, and you gingerly climbed inside.

It was clean and most importantly, expensive. The seats were soft and comfortable, and you practically melted. You looked down at yourself. Jumping of the motorbike was probably the dumbest idea you had ever had. 

Your knees and palms took the brunt of it and now you were bleeding all over Tony Stark’s expensive car. You palms were just scraped badly but you left knee had been scratched deeply by something and blood was leaking out of it at a steady rate. You tried to staunch it as best you could without dripping blood on the expensive seats. You could feel scrapes on your forearms as well and you knew you had bruised your side. You reach up and touched your forehead. Your helmet at least had kept your head safe, but you felt a bruise forming. You knew looked like a mess.

Luckily for your, you had a very high pain tolerance so while a lot of other girls would have been wailing, you had remained stoic and sat silently. Inside, a small part of you was screaming but you ignored it.

Tony Stark opened the other door and motioned for his driver to go. He looked at you try not to bleed over his seats, and he smiled reassuringly, “Don’t worry about it. I’d rather have blood all over my seats then you get hurt more”. You smiled weakly and thanked him.

“What happened to Peter?” he asked. He was intent on not wasting any time and you felt the same. You told him what Ned had told you and saw Tony Stark react. He was obviously very affected by the fact that Peter was alone, in danger and didn’t have a suit. You watched him carefully. Mr Stark genuinely cared about Peter. You were taken aback at how much Mr Stark seemed like a doting dad. You hid a smile.

“Here’s where he was headed” you said and gave Mr Stark the address. Tony Stark told his driver to get there as soon as possible. You sat silently in the car, uncomfortable due to your injuries and also with being with a virtual stranger.

“So how did you know about Peter being Spiderman? Did he tell you?” Tony Stark asked. You shook your head, “No Mr Stark, I figured it out on my own” you began and then you proceeded to explain what you had done. There was still a lot of time before you arrived at Peter’s supposed location and Mr Stark listened intently. 

When you had finished, he smiled and shook his head, “Peter told me that you were one of the smartest people he’d ever met. Now I see why”. You flushed, being praised by Tony Stark was rare and you’d take what you could get. This man was a certified genius and one whose career you had followed. “He told you about me?” you asked. Mr Stark nodded, “He told me a lot about his friends. But as far as I knew, only Ned found out and it was completely by accident. I don’t suppose he talked about me at all?” he asked.

This time you couldn’t hide your smile, “He did” you confirmed. Mr Stark visibly perked up, “He said that you were shorter in person” you smirked. Mr Stark acted offended, but a fond smile tugged on his lips. 

The car came to a sudden halt. Mr Stark frowned, “This isn’t the place, it should still be a few minutes. Happy, what are you doing?”. The driver turned around. He had been on his phone while driving and you didn’t want to comment on it, but it seemed as though the phone call had been very important.

“Sir, one of your shipments has crashed. Someone named Adrian Toomes was found unconscious in the wreckage. And there’s someone else…. Spiderman” he informed you. You and Tony Stark were stunned. It seems like Peter didn’t really need your help after all.

“Well what are you waiting for. Drive man, drive!” yelled Mr Stark.

The car sped up and you fell back into the seat. Mr Stark got out his phone and began calling his team and telling them to leave Spiderman alone. Turns out he was also unconscious. You heard him threaten anyone who tried to lift up the mask.

When he had finished, he was obviously impatient. His knee was going up and down and he drummed his fingers on his thigh. “Um, Mr Stark, what about me?” you dared to ask.

He snapped back to you, “Don’t worry about it. When we get Peter back both of you are going to a hospital where you’ll be taken care of. Your bike is being cleaned and getting a new paint job. When it’s done it’ll be delivered back to your friend. Also, if you want, I can have your dress dry cleaned and delivered to you by tomorrow. Any record of you being at the press conference will be destroyed and you’ll be on your merry way” he told you.

You were stunned, “Wow Mr Stark, thanks so much. You really didn’t have to”. He waved you off and pressed on, “You will also be getting an invitation to join the medical program at Stark Industries in a few days. I’ll take care of housing and anything you need during that time”. 

You couldn’t help the grin that had taken over your face. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m not even that great. And you’ve only just met me so there’s no way-” Mr Stark cut you off again. Obviously, this was a man who was used to giving and not being refused. 

“Don’t sell yourself short kid. I’ve seen your record. You’re a straight A student who is smart enough to figure out who Spiderman really is. If anything, we’ve got to keep an eye on you now. Don’t want word getting out” he whispered conspicuously. 

You grinned at him, “Well in that case, who am I to say no?”. He grinned right back, and you were elated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Okay so I couldn't help myself with the Supernatural references. Jack, Dean Winchester and Sam Winchester are in the story. They'll mainly be very minor characters, since they're only there for fan's indulgence, so I'll probably make them real FBI Agents
> 
> As always, I hope you are enjoying the story!


	7. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Peter have a lot of fun with Mr Stark and the internship, when you uncover one of the biggest secrets of the 'Civil War'.

A few months had passed since you had revealed to Peter, Ned and Tony Stark that you knew who Spiderman really was and since then you had been living your best life. 

The internship that Mr Stark gave you had been amazing. You had been able to work with a variety of people in an incredibly high tech environment. At first you thought that you were under qualified, but you soon found that if you were willing to learn, then the scientists and doctors around you were willing to teach you.

It also helped that you got along with them. They were no nonsense kinds of people. They didn’t get caught up in politics or workplace gossip, they did their job and they did it well. 

You helped make medicines, experiment with new drugs, develop new machines or instruments to be used in research and in hospitals and sometimes you even got to do some treatments yourself. 

Of course, you had to move to take the internship, but you weren’t the only one. Peter had also come, much to your relief. The apartment you had wanted had been put on hold for this opportunity and you had to explain to the vet you worked for why you’d be missing the whole of the holidays, but you wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world.

Tony Stark was true to his word and provided you and Peter with living accommodations and money for food and clothes, but what you had not expected was for him to let you live in Avenger’s tower.

You and Peter were ecstatic at the opportunity and when you found out you both squealed with joy. You asked Mr Stark why and he just responded that it was the most convenient. You supposed that was true since both you and Peter had to go to the tower for the internship anyway, but you wondered if there was another reason.

After the Sokovia accords incident, the Avengers team had fallen out. In what the press was calling, “Civil War”, Captain America left with a handful of his friends and became a fugitive. No one really knew why or what happened, but it along with the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D, the world was rattled.

Luckily, Hydra had been beaten back and S.H.I.E.L.D had been reinstated, but the damage was done, and the Avenger’s tower was empty for the most part.

You and Peter knew that some of the Avengers at least, used to live at the tower since they had their own personal rooms. Mr Stark always seemed nostalgic whenever you and Peter had mentioned it so you both stopped, not wanting to push your boundaries.

That being said, you and Peter never really saw Mr Stark anymore. Sometimes you’d see Happy (his driver), Pepper Potts or Colonel Rhodes, but for the most part you were left by yourselves.

Mr Stark had given you and Peter a floor to yourselves and told you that Friday would always be there if you needed it. You both had separate rooms that were massive, and you bathed in the luxury. Even now, after a month of living in the tower hadn’t quelled any of your excitement.

You had access to most of the tower except of personal spaces, so you and Peter often explored or helped him practise as Spiderman. When he realised that you knew you, he was, he had made you swear to never tell May. You laughed but swore that you wouldn’t. 

You had also taken it upon yourself to make sure that he was safer and helped him whenever you could in the training rooms. This mostly comprised of research about Peter’s new abilities and the way his body worked. 

You may not have been a fully-fledged doctor or researcher, but with the whole of Stark Industries’ medical resources in your hands, you had picked up a lot. If you had any questions, you could easily ask any of the staff and you were allowed to use almost all of the chemicals and equipment that was available.

Together, you and Peter worked out diet plans and what his weak spots were. Friday was a massive help too, offering her own opinions and updating you about the newest news about the Avengers. Occasionally Mr Stark would come down and give his own tips to you and Peter. He pointed out that there were actual training rooms for Spiderman and that he had given the two of you free reign over ordering foods.

When he said that your stomach growled, and you flushed red while Peter chortled. “Okay, I see that you’re in some trouble there. Just tell Friday and she can get whatever you need” he told you and then left.

Peter laughed at you more when Mr Stark walked out, and you kicked his shins. He faked pain and you couldn’t help but smile. “I want a burger. A cheesy cheeseburger with crispy bacon!” you groaned. “Yeah, a burger or two would be nice” he agreed.

You asked Friday what your options were and she both chose your own respectively. That was the end of your training session and you counted it as time well spent. 

From then on, you had built up a little bit of a schedule. Mondays to Sunday you focused on your internship while Peter was off being Spiderman. On the weekends you and Peter worked on his superheroing. With his permission and Mr Stark’s supervision, you were allowed to conduct tests on Peter’s blood or anything else you required to help me understand his body.

You had learnt all the skills you needed from your internship and you had argued to Mr Stark that research was important. It was known that Steve Rogers had the super serum, but no one ever did any type of research on it and how it really affected him. High metabolism, super strength, speed and healing were great ways to describe him, but they were vague and unhelpful terms. 

Mr Stark said that Steve didn’t want to be a lab rat you understood that, but no one had even been able to develop any sort of pain relief for him because they knew so much. This is what won you the argument. No one in their right mind felt comfortable with Peter going out to fight crime if he would be in serious pain. Even though he had a quick healing factor, that could only do so much.

Peter agreed with you and mentioned that his Aunt was a nurse, so he did know the importance of having pain meds that actually worked. From then on, Mr Stark spent more time with the two of you and supervised your training and research projects.

One day he gave you and Peter new key cards that permitted access to a new level. Tony Stark ushered the two of you into an elevator and told Friday to take us to the labs. You were beyond excited. The doors opened and you all hopped off. You and Peter were hesitant to go forward so Mr Stark took the lead. 

“So, I’ve been reviewing all the work that you two have been doing and I decided you needed more space. So, I’ve had these labs remodelled for you. Y/n, your lab is first up over here. And Peter, yours is further down. They are both connected so you can talk to each other or whatever” he explained while pointing to the different rooms and illuminating them.

You opened your mouth to speak but Mr Stark continued, “Now there’s no need to thank me. These labs have been rotting away down here and have been quite an eye sore. So hopefully you guys can help make them useful. Now if you need me, my lab is the opposite to the two of yours. There’s a corridor separating us. My lab also goes up a level or two so don’t be surprised if you don’t see me. You kids got any questions?” he asked.

You and Peter were stunned. You especially. You knew that Mr Stark saw Peter as a kind-of son and would probably show him a little bit of attention, but never in a million years would you think that he would go out of his way to do something like this for you too.

The labs were large and completely state of the art. You knew that Mr Stark had a habit of giving but playing it down so he wouldn’t look like a massive giver, but this was quite possibly the most heart-warming thing you had ever received from someone who wasn’t your family. It was a space devoted entirely to yourself and your dreams and you were beyond words.

Finally, Peter pushed out, “Ms Stark, thank you. I mean, seriously thank you. This is amazing!”. He was a bit choked up and Mr Stark reached up to ruffle his hair fondly. 

You were still unable to speak so you rushed forward and hugged Mr Stark. He didn’t seem to be expecting it, but he gave you a few pats on the back and a warm smile. You held him tight and muttered a little thank you before stepping back and wiping your eyes.

Mr Stark seemed a little stunned by your and Peter’s reaction and shifted awkwardly, his billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist persona slipping a little. He cleared his throat, “Okay then. Introductions are out of the way, I’m sure you want to look around. Also, Friday isn’t in charge of your area, Karen is- so any problems go to her” he said and slipped into his own lab.

You and Peter looked at each other and ran towards the new labs you had been given and spent the rest of the day trying out all the new tech you had at your disposal.  
This arrangement continued and you, Peter and Tony spent more time together. You still called him Mr Stark out loud, but in your head, he just became Tony. If Peter was the son that was following in his superhero footsteps, then you were the daughter that shared his sense of humour.

Often you had bonded over your sarcasm and witty remarks. They were fun times and you cherished them.

However, you wouldn’t become truly close to him until the night that he told you everything.

One day, while you were working late in the labs, you looked up to see Tony sleeping across from you. Peter wasn’t with you as he had already gone to bed. You were just finishing testing the acidity of a new medicine that was being proposed when you happened to glance over.

You checked the time, it was almost 1:00 am. You quickly went to go find a blanket to give to Tony. He had done so much for you and Peter and you wanted to give back in any way possible.

You approached his lab doors and Friday let you in without any fuss. As you approached, you realised that Tony had been watching some old footage before he had slept. It was still playing on repeat and you tried to tune it out.

Tony was hunched over on his chair, with his eyes closed and his hands being used as a pillow, so you quickly put the blanket over his shoulders and fetched a pillow for his head. He was out cold and barely reacted when you eased his head down.

You glanced up to the video and froze. It was a car accident with a timestamp on it. You quickly let out a breath when you realised it was from years ago, hence the grainy footage. It wasn’t your family’s. You frowned, why would Mr Stark have this playing on repeat until he fell asleep. You knew he had some strange tendencies that bordered on unhealthy, but you and Peter had been trying to help Pepper get rid of them.

You kept watching in horror as you saw someone approach the crash site and murder the two people. Immediately you knew what this was. This was the assassination of Tony’s parents. You matched the timestamp with the date the Stark’s had died and recognised the faces of Tony’s parents immediately. The killer was unknown.

Your breath started coming out in quick bursts and your hands were shaking. Witnessing such a cold murder left your hands numb and you began to feel sick. You stumbled backwards and sat on the floor. It was getting harder to breathe and you couldn’t stop gasping. Every time you tried to breathe, you would take another breath in the middle and cut yourself short. Your hands were numb and useless, and you began to feel light-headed.

You registered that this was a panic attack, but you had no idea how the video had triggered it. In the meantime, Friday must have picked up on your distress because she woke up Tony.

He woke up with a shock and saw you gasping on the floor before registering the video that was playing. “Shit!” he swore and quickly turned off the video.

“Y/n, I need you to try and breath” he murmured, “This sounds really weird, but you need to hold your breath. You are having trouble breathing because there is too much Oxygen. You need to hold your breath so the Oxygen and Carbon dioxide levels can level out again” he continued.

You nodded frantically and used your hands the cover your mouth and nose. You shuddered and violently breathed into nothing before your breaths evened out and you let your hands down. You took shuddering breaths, but your episode was falling away, and you could think clearly. 

Tony had sat next to your with the blanket and had been patting your shoulder. You both sat in silence while you calmed down a little bit more and your hands gained feeling. Tony got you a cup of water and you drank it gratefully.

“Mr Stark…. Who was that? Why would you watch that?” you asked shakily. He shook his head, “It’s nothing Y/n. Let’s get you up to your room” he responded, eyes downcast.

Your shuddering breaths gave way to a spike of anger, “If I were you, I would hunt that man down. I would never forgive him!” you spat out. Tony frowned down at you. “No. That’s not what it’s like” he whispered. “Why not?!” you hissed. Your emotions were all over the place and anger was the easiest thing to feel.

Tony looked at you in despair, his eyes looking tired and weary. Your anger faded into despair as you realised what you were saying. “Mr Stark, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean-” you began but he cut you off.

“I understand. And trust me, there’s more to the story then you think. That guy…. He was being controlled. It’s not…. It’s not his fault” he said tightly. You looked down, not wanting to face the man who had given you so much breaking.

“Tell me then. What happened?” you goaded. Talking about things always made you feel better and you figured that it could work for Tony Stark too. If not, then it was worth a try.

He let out a breath. “Alright then, you might as well know since you’ve seen everything. But whatever I tell you, you can never let anyone else know. This is beyond classified” he warned. You nodded your head and gestured for him to continue.

He began speaking and for the rest of the night, you and Tony Stark shared a blanket on the floor, reflecting on his family’s murder. You learned about Howard Stark, Maria Stark, Jarvis, Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers and most importantly, you and Peter.

Although you and Tony were so different, you bonded over your families’ death and the new life that each had given you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, the rest of the Avengers will be coming back soon. And yes, Tony has forgiven Bucky. He just hasn't really forgiven Steve for lying to him.
> 
> Also, the panic attack thing is real and it works for me. If you ever find yourself hyperventilating, try and stop breathing. I know it sounds scary and it can be hard but you need to stop yourself from inhaling too much oxygen. In fact, our breathing is actually based on this.
> 
> Fun Fact! You can be breathing in pure Nitrogen and never feel like you're suffocating. This has actually happened to people. Basically you just kind of fall asleep and die. Yeah, pretty scary. Be careful out there!


	8. The Avengers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally meet the Avengers, but something is terribly wrong.

After Tony explained everything to you, you weren’t surprised at all that the world’s governments had gotten together and pardoned Steve Rogers and his team. You and Peter felt a bit weary but that was nothing compared to the pent up ball of energy that had become Tony Stark.

You knew that he had forgiven Bucky and that the main problem was with Steve. School was starting soon so you and Peter would be moving back to Queens and leaving Peter, but you still had two weeks at Stark tower. Despite your and Peter’s protests, Tony had refused to let you see the Avengers, not even as Spiderman for Peter.

“Under no circumstances will you meet them, nonetheless SEE them! You will stay here. I will be at the Avengers compound. The other Avengers will be at the compound. You will complete your internship and then go back to school with no drama at all. You will be safe here and… and…. You’re not leaving until I say you are” Tony trailed off.

You and Peter smirked, “Yes Dad!” you chorused. Tony flushed and shooed you away. You and Peter had already begun packing up all the unnecessary parts of the lab Tony had given you and had been using more and more of your time to spend time outside of the tower.

There was a nice park nearby that you liked to go to. You usually went when Peter was out being Spiderman, so you had the time completely to yourself. You would sit under the shade of a tree and just stay there in silence. It was times like these that you would listen to music or reflect on what has happened to your life. The place that you had chosen was also fairly secluded and so you could think freely about your parents and brother. 

It offered a strange sense of peace that you liked. Being cooped up in the lab or tower for too long could drive you nuts so when you promised that you would take Karen with you, Tony let you go out without supervision. Honestly, he was such an overbearing mentor sometimes.

You were sitting there now and thinking about the rogue Avengers coming back. Tony had already gone to the compound to meet them leaving you and Peter to be looked after by Friday. Peter was currently out being Spiderman and so you figured that you might as well enjoy the last week and a bit you had left.

It was getting late, so you started to head back. It was getting colder so you put on your hoodie and began heading back the Avengers tower. As you approached, your phone suddenly beeped, and you looked down to see a red alert from Karen.

You quickly entered the building and into an elevator to your room. “Karen, what’s wrong?” you asked frantically. Karen clear voice soon filled the elevator, “An unknown and unregistered aircraft has appeared above on the landing zone of the tower. Mr Stark is not picking up any calls and so Friday is ready to engage”.

You freaked out. You were completely alone. Peter was still around the city somewhere. Tony was at the compound which was up-state New York and you had no idea where Pepper might even be. You were still on your way up and you felt dread curl in your stomach.

Despite the dread, you kept a clear mind. IF there was one thing that life had taught you, it was that being able to remain calm under any circumstance can save your life. You jumped when the doors opened to your floor and you hurried inside.

“Friday show me the footage of the landing pad. Try and see where it came from” you requested. Friday complied and in front of you was the real-time footage of the landing zone. The ship was sleek and black, obviously made for stealth. You had gone back and watched when it had arrived, and it looked as though it had just appeared out of thin air.

No one was getting out and your saw no movement behind the heavily tinted glass. Friday was unable to find any database that matched a ship like this. It was far too high tech and the designs were unlike anything the government had even begun to develop. There were no brands or logos to indicate that it was Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D but it did seem oddly familiar.

“Friday, how many known planes can become invisible?” you asked. There was a short pause before Friday pulled up all the known planes that had ever been recorded. There weren’t that many and even less the size of this small plane. “It looks… Wakandan” responded Friday, she showed you footage of a similar plane and you agreed. “But what are they doing here?” you asked.

Friday didn’t answer you immediately but when she did it was not what you were expecting, “Y/n, an access code has been put in. They are able to communicate with me. Showing identification now”. You were confused. If they had ID, then that meant that Tony had given it to them, and that they were a friend. Finally, Friday pulled up whose access code was being used and… “Captain Steve Rogers!” you exclaimed.

If this was really Captain America, then they were in the wrong place. If not, it was a pretty elaborate trick. “Captain Rogers is now requesting a video call” chimed in Friday. You were struck dumb for a few moments.

It could be a trap. Someone may have stolen Captain Rogers’ ID and now wanted to see Tony. You reasoned with this idea. It seemed incredibly unlikely that anyone could take down the rogue Avengers at once along with a fabulous piece of Wakandan technology. You hesitated before you told Friday to accept the call.

“Mr Stark, we have been wai-” a man began before he locked eyes with your nervous ones, “you and not Tony Stark”. You didn’t recognise him though Friday had been helpful enough to run scans and put his profile next to his face. It was the King of Wakanda. You were so screwed. At least it wasn’t an enemy.

You stood there awkwardly, “Um, no Your Majesty. Mr Stark is at the Avengers compound.”

The King looked at you and you were not ready for the intensity of his glare. He spoke again, “Captain Rogers and his team are here, as agreed upon. Why is Mr Stark not here?” he demanded. 

You gulped, “Well Sir, Mr Stark was actually told that he would be meeting you at the compound. That is why he isn’t here. He. Uhhh. Left me in charge but he wasn’t expecting any visitors”.

There was a terrible pause where the King turned around to talk to those behind him. You heard some muffled voices arguing. You decided to cut in, wanting to end this conversation as soon as possible. “With all due respect, there seems to have been some miscommunication that I am sure Mr Stark will be able to fix when he gets back. Friday has already alerted him so I think he will be here soon. If you would like I can let you into the communal area so you can wait” you offered.

You honestly had no idea what you were doing but your mouth seemed to come up with sentences that made sense, so you ran with it. The King nodded and you directed them to the communal area. “See you soon” you informed them before you cut the feed.

You groaned, you were going to make a fool of yourself. “Friday, let everyone in. If you need to, turn security down a notch. We don’t want any alarms freaking them out” you requested. 

You looked at your clothes, you wore a pair of jeans with a simple black shirt and a hoodie. You opted to switch out the hoodie for a bomber jacket and you decided that it was good enough. 

“Friday, where is Mr Stark?” you asked. It had been a while since the rogue Avengers had come and you had expected Mr Stark to have been there by now. “Sir is not responding to anything I have asked him. It is possible that there is a jamming system in place” Friday responded sulkily. 

You felt uneasy. “Peter is on his way now too” said Karen from your phone. “Shit! Tell him to stay hidden, the Avengers still don’t know his identity yet!” you ordered. 

You took the lift down on your way to where you were meeting the rogue Avengers and you felt your palms begin to sweat. Stay cool, they're not going to judge you. You're just going to go and tell them what’s been happening and then go back to your room. Friday can supervise them, you reminded yourself.

The doors opened and you swallowed the panic building up inside you.

You stepped out and the small chatter stopped. You put your hands in your pocket and walked towards the people in the communal area before pausing a few meters away. Distance was key.

You took them all in. In the middle, the King and Captain Rogers were standing with their backs straight and their eyes alert. They also looked very tired. In fact, they all did. Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes stood behind Rogers on either side, while Clint Barton and Wanda Maximoff stood further away. A Wakandan guard stood behind the King, her nasty spear ready in her hands. Romanoff was nowhere to be seen and your skin prickled. 

You felt small under their stares and there was no doubt that you were being assessed for weapons, powers, strength and anything threatening about you. To be honest you doubted you looked like much of a threat at all. You were short, only reaching to most of their chests. Curse your short genes. You weren’t physically very strong, and you had never touched a gun in your life. Quite frankly, you were standing in a room full of people who could easily kill you.

Rogers spoke first, “Who are you?” he demanded. You frowned a little. Mr All-American was kind of rude after all. “I am an intern here at Stark Industries. I have a lab here and I work with Mr Stark sometimes. Because I am not from around here, Mr Stark has kindly allowed me to live in the Avengers tower. But I’ll be leaving in 11 days so don’t worry about me being here affecting you in the long term” you responded. You forced yourself to stay calm and kept a polite tone.

Captain Rogers didn’t seem convinced, and neither did anyone else. Sam Wilson jumped in, “So you’re telling me that Tony Stark let you, a lowly intern, live in the Avengers tower. For free. Pretty much in luxury?” he questioned.

You flushed and your fists in your jacket pockets tightened. You might as well twist the truth a little. You were a terrible liar so vague truths were all you had. “You’re right, it is a bit...unusual. But there are other factors influencing my stay here. I’m mostly here because I accidently stumbled across…. highly classified information and Mr Stark needs to keep an eye on me. But I got the internship from my own merits” you lied. Well it wasn’t an exact lie. It was kind true.

“What type of information?” spoke a voice from behind you. You let out a shriek and whirled around while simultaneously stubbing your toe on a chair. Your hands came out of your pockets to right yourself and you tried to breathe out the sharp pain in your toe. A punch or a cut you could deal with but stubbing your toe was an eternal world of pain. You let out a pained groan (okay it was more like a whimper but whatever).

It was Natasha Romanoff. You thought you were having a heart attack. You were already on edge and skittish but when she popped up behind you, you senses were dialled to 11 and you had to calm yourself down. Your hands began to shake so you put them back in your pocket, the pain of your toe ebbing away.

If they thought you were any of a threat before, they certainly didn’t now. Romanoff smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you”. She walked back to where Rogers was standing, and they seemed to reach an understanding about you. The words, “Not a threat. Just a normal civilian” flashed in their eyes and you wanted to roll your eyes. Duh.

They seemed to relax a bit after that, and you decided that sitting down might be the best course of action. You pulled out a chair and calmed your breathing down. Romanoff gestured for you to answer continue and you realised that she wanted you to answer the question. Your brain just shot out the first thing that came to mind, “Howard and Maria Stark’s assassination” you blurted out and you wanted to slap yourself. Of all the sensitive subjects you could have picked you chose that one. Great job Y/n, you've earned yourself a ticket all the way to hell.

The room seemed to get colder but your mouth kept moving, “Anyway, I just came down here to tell you that you’re free to do whatever until Mr Stark gets back. Friday will be around if you need any help, isn’t that right Friday?”. 

There was no answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! You've finally met everyone. Also, saying that you know about the Stark assassination will play into the future when you and Bucky finally have a chat about it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter and a massive thank you to everyone who has commented or left kudos. It's pretty awesome of you guys!


	9. Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is an attack at Avengers tower and you need to figure out why.

You frowned, “Friday?” There was nothing. The Avengers became alert and they changed their stance. There were battle ready and their uneasiness was being picked up by you. You grabbed your phone and got out Karen, “Karen… where’s Mr. Stark?” you whispered. “I can’t get a signal anywhere Y/n. The tower seems to have gone in lockdown. Friday is not responding either. The most probable cause is that there is an intruder inside of the tower. Possibly a group.”

Rogers looked stricken that they were cut off from Tony. He walked over to you and gestured for you to give him Karen. You obeyed, not knowing what to do. Even though you had been living at the tower of months, you had never been in any sort of danger. The security was too good for that.

“Maam, I need you to tell me exactly what is happening with the tower” ordered Rogers. Karen did not answer so you stepped in, “Listen to him Karen. Sir, she’s the AI that’s in charge on me. Mr. Stark made her” you explained. Rogers gave you a stiff nod and listened to Karen listing all the ways the tower had been compromised. 

When she finished, Rogers started giving out orders. The basic idea was that they would check all the exits and entrances and secure all the valuable equipment. They ruled out a lot of the bottom floors since they were for the Stark Industries employees. While they did contain valuable data, it was not enough for the whole tower to be shut down. These people took a large risk attempting to get into the tower while Captain America was here.

You were still trying to figure out how they got in, then it hit you. Your head shot up and you looked around the room. Captain Rogers and Bucky Barnes were the only ones left in the room with you. “What is it?” asked Captain Rogers.

“I know how they got in!” you told him. They were both silent, Rogers listening intently and Bucky standing further back with his gun drawn. “When you arrived at the tower, I had to disable some of the security measures. I just told Friday to let everyone in since Mr Stark wasn’t here to do it properly. It is entirely possible that whoever invaded the tower knew this was going to happen and used that window to get in” you finished.

Rogers was nodding his head, “That does make sense. It also explains why they had to risk going in with us. They must be very confident” he agreed. This time Barnes stepped forward, “Not only that,” he began hoarsely “they knew we would come here instead of the compound. What if our messages were hacked?”. 

The three of you fell into a contemplative silence. “Then… why hasn’t Mr Stark come yet” you murmured. Barnes shifted uncomfortably but Rogers spoke up, “It is likely that they are stalling him. He may be in trouble” he muttered. Your face must have crumbled a little bit because he added on hurriedly, “But he should still be fine. Tony is…. Good at what he does. He’s resourceful and is probably handling it now”.

You nodded miserably. Rogers continued, “Why would they come here Y/n. You must know something!”. You shook your head, “I’m really not-” you stopped. Your mind was working at a memory. You stepped back and tried to think about what it was that Tony said to you. 

It was another late night and you had gone in to say goodnight. Tony had whirled around with a hard drive in his hand. It was small, about the size of a bullet. It would be easy to hide it anywhere on the body. “What’s that?” you asked. Tony’s face was grave, “I found this when I was exploring my… old CEO’s things. It’s from my dad actually. He must have kept in... somewhere that I never knew about it. I looked inside and it’s…. It’s not” he began to go on a tangent and you rolled your eyes.

“Mr Stark, you’re rambling again” you reminded him. He chuckled half-heartedly, “You’re right. Bottom line is, these are designs for weapons. They are crude and primitive compared to what we can do today, but in the wrong hands they can still do some damage. As soon as I get back, I’m going to get rid of it, but I’m still going through it in case there’s more to the story he told you.

“Mr Stark has this hard drive with weapons designs on it. He said it was among some old stuff so… it could be that” you said slowly. Suddenly, another voice called out- it was Sam. “Hey Cap, we found some of the guys who broke in. They’re some sort of terrorist group. I think there’s more of them but they’re not here” he spoke. Steve thanked him and then turned to you.   
“Where is the hard drive now?”  
“It should still be in the labs” you told him. Steve furrowed his brow, “Well then, there’s no time to waste. Lead the way Y/n”.

You nodded and headed to the elevator. Although the tower was on lock down, this was a private elevator for the living quarters and the personal labs, so it ran with different rules. Only those with access cards could use them. You went in and headed for the labs.

You assured Rogers and Barnes that the people who gained access to the tower couldn’t use the elevators, but they could use the stairs. They nodded and held their weapons ready when the door opened. At first there was nothing, so Steve edged forward and was immediately faced with gunfire. He swore and closed the doors again.

“They’re already here, they have been waiting for the whole time for us to come down” said Steve with gritted teeth. You were surprised that no one had gotten shot. “They haven’t been able to get through yet, but they probably will soon” you informed them.

Steve called everyone who hadn’t found anything up to join you, but you all knew you were running out of time. “Okay, here’s the plan. Me and Bucky are going to distract them. We can give you a few seconds of cover fire while you go in and get the drive. Hopefully we would have taken them out in time” he explained. You snuck a glance at Barnes whose face was resolute.

“Umm, I don’t want to burst your bubble or anything but I’m not fast or agile enough to get into the lab in a few seconds” you chimed in and winced at your apparent uselessness. You shifted awkwardly and looked down at your feet. You winced at the sound of people on the other side of the door.

You felt a firm hand on your shoulder. It was Rogers and he was grinning. You raised an eyebrow, wanting an explanation for his apparent cheerfulness. “Actually, it’s a good thing that you are here. I wouldn’t expect anyone, much less a civilian to go through that” he said. You still didn’t understand, “Okay, so what’s the plan then?” you asked.

“Tony’s lab has vents all over the place and it just so happens that someone your size can squeeze through them. Outside of this elevator should be an entrance that you can use to get in and out without too much trouble. Hopefully by the time you get the drive, me and Buck would have finished up with the bad guys on the outside” he explained, “Me and Bucky could never fit through”. 

You nodded along and figured that it was the best plan you had. “Okay, I’ll do it”.

Bucky used his metal arm and tore off the hatch at the top with a screeching sound of metal. He then cupped his hands, “I’ll lift you out,” he said while cocking an eyebrow, “unless you think you can jump it”. You shook your head and laughed a bit, “Yeah, there’s no way I’m tall enough to even attempt that. Thanks Mr Barnes!” you chattered and placed your foot in his waiting hands.

He hoisted you up and you almost lost your balance. Super soldier muscles were no joke. “Okay, I’m going into the vents now!” you called out. You heard them ask each other if they were ready and so you went into the vent. It was already opened, and by the looks of it had been open for years. You suspected that there was a story behind how Steve knew about the vents but that was for another time. You also spotted a scratchy C. B by the entrance.

It was a tight fit, but you were small enough that it was easy to manoeuvre around. After a few seconds of listening to grunts, gun fire and suspicious metal clanging you found the entrance. This time, the vent was shut so you had to force it down. It took a few bangs and bruised knuckles to get it out, but you eventually made it. You fell feet first into the lab, and thankfully Tony had a couch underneath the vents, so your landing was soft.

You knew your way around and went to Tony’s main workstation. You began searching frantically and you finally found it buried under some schematics for the new Stark phone.

“Y/n! Watch out!” a voice yelled, and you looked up just in time to see the glass walls shatter. One of the larger guys had managed to get Steve’s vibranium shield and shattered the glass. It turns out there were more than expected and even the two super soldiers were caged in a little. Someone came into the lab and your blood ran cold. You had cuts from the glass and you had no weapons on you.

You had to hide the hard drive somehow. It couldn’t be a simple as putting it in your pocket so you did the best thing you could think of.

Just as you finished hiding the drive, someone came in made their way towards you. You ran only to be tackled to the ground. You fell and tried to grab something, anything, to use as a weapon. You turned around but the man grabbed you by your throat and held you down, “I saw you take it! Where is it?” he growled.

You felt sick. He bashed your head against the ground and your vision blurred but you lifted you hand. You heard a concerned yell and when the man’s grip loosened, you used the opportunity to bash him back. You had picked up one of Tony’s hammers and you hit the guy on the head as hard as you could.

It was enough, he reared back, and you reached into his belt to get his taser. You grabbed it and tased him. He convulsed and fell on top of you. “Who's the God of Thunder now bitch!” you smirked.

You tried to get up but the blows to your head made you dizzy, and your balance was off. “You know what… I’ll just lie here” you muttered while you fought the ringing in your ears and thudding in your brain. Soon, you saw another shadow approaching, “Fuck off” you spat and was met with a relieved chuckle. “Looks like you’re doing alright then” said Barnes. He gripped the man on top of you and threw him back out onto the battlefield. You looked over and caught a glimpse of gold and red, “Mr Stark…?” you slurred. Barnes nodded, “Turns out he managed to defeat the guys they sent after him at the compound and hiked it all the way here to help us out”.

You grinned, “Yay” you said. You didn’t think your brain was working quite right but you figured that everything would be okay. You also noticed that the fighting had stopped. Barnes stood and hauled you up along with him. You stumbled on your feet and your vision went black as you tried to stay standing. 

You slowly sat back down on the floor and blinked the black dots away. Barnes frowned, “Seems like he hit you harder than we thought” he commented, you groaned and waved him off.

“Y/n! Are you alright?” yelled Tony as he took off his armour and rushed over to your sitting figured. You gave him a thumbs up, but Barnes shook his head minutely. “Traitor” you murmured. Tony checked your head and noted your cuts and the forming bruise around your neck. “Yeah, you’re definitely not alright. We’re going to find you a doctor, are you alright to stand now?” he asked.

You tried getting to your feet and you fared better than last time. You nodded and Tony helped you hobble towards the elevator. He was stiffer than usual and lacked his sarcastic commentary, probably because of Barnes and Rogers. While he had worked well with them on the field, he refused to meet either of their eyes and instead focused on you.

The elevator ride back down was suffocating, and you were almost glad that your head was blurry enough for you to avoid it. You let out a nervous laugh before you could stop it and their eyes zeroes in on you. No one said anything and the awkwardness built up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the Avengers are officially back together (minus Vision because I completely forgot about him and I've already finished writing the story). 
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Make note that you are a bit of a fighter, you're not gonna go down without a fight, even if you're not that strong. I LOVED my Thor joke (cause you used a hammer and electricity hehehehe).
> 
> Originally I was gonna have you swallow the drive but then I realised that puking it up in front of everyone is gross (and hard).
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! More is coming soon!


	10. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the attack is finally over, all the Avengers are gathered for the first time in months, in the Common room. Fun times.

You met everyone down on the communal floor and was pleased to see that Peter, as Spiderman, was there too. 

No one seemed to be especially hurt, in fact you seemed to be the most injured out of all of them. Your clothes were rumpled, you had cuts all over, a clear bruise on your neck and you couldn’t walk straight for the life of you. You reached up and there was a cut on your forehead that was bleeding down the side of your face. Yuck.

“Oh my God Y/n, are you alright!?” asked Peter as he came over and pulled out a chair for you. “I’m getting there… now if everyone would stop staring that would be pretty great” you muttered. Tony helped you sit down, and you slumped over the table in front of you. 

Rogers seemed to switch back into Captain mode and was asking everyone what had happened. You gathered that when they had split up, there wasn’t that much to deal with, so they all tried to get to where you were but were stopped by a new force that had broken into the tower with the defences mostly down. They had alien weaponry and were, as quoted from Sam, “A real pain in the ass to deal with.”

That was when Peter had come in with Tony and while Peter stayed to help out, Tony came down to where you were in search of the hard drive which you had managed to tuck away in one of his shoes that left lying around in the lab.

It was a well-planned and well-funded attack on the tower and that was what worried people the most. They began to argue. You head hurt and you saw no medic in sight, so you stood up. “Mr Stark, I’m going to sleep. I’m way too tired to think straight so I doubt I can be over any help” you said. Your voice was hoarse after being choked but you were starting to feel a bit better.

You walked towards the elevator doors and leaned on the wall for support. You hoped that they had all picked up on your subtle message: Shut up and rest before you figure anything important out.

Tony looked like he wanted to stop you, but he reined himself in and walked up to you, “I’ll get Friday back online as soon as possible. If you feel any pain or anything not right, you tell me straight away. Got it?”. You nodded and gave him a quick hug, “Night Mr Stark” you murmured.

Some of the tension he had melted away. “Good night Y/n,” he said “Spiderman, you should get some rest too. Make sure Y/n makes it to her room safely” he ordered.

Peter nodded and followed you into the elevator. You both leant back and waved everyone else goodbye. They waved back and you giggled at their hesitance.

The doors shut and you and Peter were alone. “Dude, this is wild!” you grinned. Peter took off the mask, “Hell yeah!”. You were both in agreement and you chatted about what each of you had been up to in the fight. You told him about Rogers and Barnes and how Romanoff had scared you. He laughed and told him how he helped out Wilson and Barton take out some of the bad guys.

You made it to your floor and you both walked in. There was a small living room that you both shared, so you went to go sit down there. Peter came back with a first aid kit. You thanked him and started to patch yourself up.

“Peter, do you know what’s up with Tony and all of them?” you asked. You may have known about the whole Winter Soldier business but other than that you didn’t know much. Peter hesitated, “I’m not too sure either. But I do know that they all used to be really good friends”.

You shrugged, “I wonder if they can be like that again”. Peter responded, “I hope so, I’ve never seen Mr Stark so relieved when he saw everyone again. He was upset yeah, but I think he was happy that everyone was safe.”

You began to drift off, so you said goodnight to Peter and went to your room. You heard some noises that told you that the tower’s defences were back up and that Friday was working again. “Hey Friday… you alright?” you asked her. She responded straight away, “Of course I am. Thank you for asking. Good night Y/n” she said gently.

You smiled and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this was a fairly short chapter but everyone has seen each other again. Steve and Tony will have mini arguments throughout but they'll mostly try to avoid each other.
> 
> Also the team doesn't know about Peter Parker as Spiderman yet but they will eventually.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
> 
> AND a massive thank you to everyone who has left kudos, commented, bookmarked this work and supported it in general. It means a lot and it gives me a lot of joy to know that you guys actually like the story. Thanks so much!


	11. Going Home... Or not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Peter were scheduled to head back home but with the attack, you are now being forced to stay for an additional few weeks. Bonding time.

After the whole fiasco where someone broke in, a lot had happened. Peter had to make a big show of leaving as Spiderman before coming back as Peter Parker so no one would be suspicious. S.H.I.E.L.D had stepped in and Fury was investigating, so the tower was a flurry of activity. And you and Peter were not allowed to leave.

“What! You can’t just keep us here! We have school!” you screeched when he had told you. After what you had been through this guy with an eye patch was nothing and your bullshit sensor was picking up a lot. He looked taken aback by your outburst and he tried to pull out the “I am the director of Shield and you must listen to me” card but you weren’t listening.

“Last time I checked, Shield was run into the ground by Hydra. Besides, I don’t work for Shield. I am just an intern for Stark Industries, so you have no control over my actions” you reasoned.

Captain Rogers decided to step in to try and diffuse the situation, “Y/n, we only need you to stay here for a few more weeks while we figure out what happened. Those people who broke in knew that you would be here to unlock security. It’s safe to say that they aren’t afraid of hurting your family if you went back” he told you.

You hesitated, what he was saying made sense and you didn’t want Peter’s aunt or the Leeds getting hurt. “But what about school?” you pleaded.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ve taken care of it. Besides, you’re way ahead of everyone already. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Peter’s also in the same boat so it’s not like you’ll be alone” chimed in Mr Stark. Of course, he would give you an ego boost to try and appease you. Unfortunately, it worked. 

“Fine” you grumbled and crossed your arms. You glared at all the Shield agents around you, saving your death glare for Fury. “Then we are in agreement” commented Fury while lifting an eyebrow at your hostility. 

He got up to leave but then he stopped, “One more thing, you said you last name was Y/l/n but you’re living with the Leeds family. Any particular reason why?”

You looked up at him trying to gauge what he was doing. Knowing Shield’s resources, there was no way he didn’t know what happened to your family. You saw the Avengers listening in. I see, this is about trust you thought. Tony look enraged on your behalf, “That’s none of your-”

You cut him off, feeling cold, “My parents and brother died in a car crash a few years back. The Leeds took me in” you stated bluntly. You weren’t going to sugar-coat it for anyone in the room. They wanted the truth, they got the truth.

You grew even more hostile by the second and continued to stare down Fury. You ignored the tears that prickled your eyes, he looked at you, this time kindlier, “That will be all Ms Y/l/n” he said before walking away to talk to someone else.

You sat there and stared off into space. Tony was busy and you didn’t feel like looking at how the rest of the Avengers reacted to the new information. Peter sat next to you silent, though he squeezed your hand in support.

The next few weeks you spent with the Avengers allowed you to know them more. It was unavoidable. You hated staying cooped up in your room for too long and they obviously didn’t feel super comfortable with that either. The Wakandan King had flown back the night the tower had been attacked so that just left Rogers, Barnes, Barton, Romanoff, Sam and Wanda.

You were on a first name basis with Sam since he was like a ball of sunshine and always treated you with respect. He made jokes with you when he saw that you were more than happy to be friendly with him and the rest of the Avengers, and he tended to treat you as a friend.

With Wanda, that was a slightly different story.

You had been watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine in the communal area when you noticed that she kept on walking past. The others were out and about somewhere else or they were ignoring the TV. You knew that Barton was there since he was always making sure that Wanda was alright. 

You shifted slightly on the couch and moved from the centre a bit when the episode finished. Wanda seemed to want to join in, but she was too shy to ask so you decided to take the initiative.

“Hi! Listen, I know that you are probably busy with your awesome superhero powers, but I was wondering if you wanted some popcorn?” you called out.

She looked at Barton questioningly and you ignored his stare. He nodded at her. “Um, sure… why not” she smiled shyly. 

You grinned at her, “Awesome! Because I really felt like popcorn but there was no way I could finish it by myself. I’ll make some for us “you said cheerfully. She smiled back and you felt accomplished. 

You found a packet of popcorn and stuck it into the microwave. “Of course, you can’t have popcorn by itself. You need to watch something! There’s this show called Brooklyn Nine-Nine and it’s sort of like a comedy thing. It would be nice if you could join me, it’s kind sad being by myself on the couch” you informed her.

You knew that Clint was listening intently on every word trying to figure out what you were doing. It was simple to be honest. If Wanda was too shy to ask, then you didn’t want to push her. If you made it seem as though she was the one helping you out and you gave her a way out, she wouldn’t feel pressured into thinking she was obligated to do anything.

Your plan worked and Wanda’s eyes lit up. “I would love to” she told you. You smiled at her and held up the popcorn, “Hell yeah! Now let’s get to it before Mr Hawkeye steals everything” you whispered. She giggled and you both made your way to the couch.

The popcorn sat between you and you started to play Season 1 Episode 1. Wanda loved it and so you had a mini marathon. Barton had also joined you on the couch and was watching intently. You saw him ‘fall asleep’ and you and Wanda giggled. 

The other Avengers were in and out, wondering what the hell you all were doing and were obviously glad that Wanda was having fun. They saw that Clint was there and left you by yourselves. You were just in the middle of changing the episode when Wanda spoke up, “Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked.

You stopped what you were doing and laid back on the couch, “Because I think we could make pretty good friends. You’re about the same age as I am and it’s nice being around you” you told her. She looked flustered, “But… I’ve done some terrible things. Especially to Tony Stark and I know you and he are… close” she persisted.

“Yes, me and Mr Stark are close. He is kind of like the crazy uncle that loves to spoil everyone” you chuckled, “Mr Stark has a big heart and I know he doesn’t have any ill will towards you. Or anyone else here. Besides…” you trailed off.

Your shoulders slumped and your smile fell, “I… I also lost my brother. He was younger than me by about 3 years, so I always felt as though it was my responsibility to protect him. When the police knocked on my door I was crushed. Losing my parents was one thing but losing my brother broke me. We were always told to look after each other and I loved him so much. But he’s gone now and it’s just me. It’s probably why I fuss over Peter and Mr Stark so much… Anyway, the point is that I know what it’s like to lose a brother. And it’s the most devastating feeling in the world” you told her. 

You were exhausted and your throat had begun to close up a little making it harder to talk. Wanda sat silently next to you, then she put her arms around you and hugged you. You hugged her back and you both stayed like that in silence.

“I think that I would like to be friends with you too” she finally murmured, and you let out a teary laugh. You could feel her crying into your shirt and you knew you were doing the same. “We’re gonna be such good friends the Avengers won’t know what hit them” you joked.

She pulled back and let out a laugh. It was infectious and soon you were both laughing hysterically. 

You knew that Barton had heard the whole thing, but you couldn’t care less so you put on the next episode and you and Wanda continued watching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! So you are making friends with Wanda and Sam so far. They way it goes is that you kind of address people by their last names until you feel comfortable calling them by their first names. If a chapter has the title of an Avenger's name, you'll probably spend that chapter bonding with them.
> 
> And Sam is such a sweet guy, I reckon he'd be so welcoming and inclusive. Wanda is canonically a teenager too so she's been though some terrible things and it would be great if you were friends. This was primarily the reason why I wrote this character with a brother who also died in the car accident. If you can't relate than that's okay, maybe like a brotherly figure?
> 
> Again thanks so much for reading and have a great time!


	12. Clint and Natasha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint and Natasha take it among themselves to train you up a bit.

After you had made friends with Wanda, the rest of the team seemed to treat you a little differently. It was small things, like offering to get you food or joining in with you and Wanda when you watched movies and TV shows. Peter was always there after he heard that you had both binged Brooklyn nine-Nine without him.

You were all similar ages and so you all got along well.

One time you were talking about who was the strongest out of Captain Holt, Rosa and Terry when Tony came in. He heard your heated argument and stood behind all of you, “Come one kids. No need to fight, I’ll be the judge” he told you.

You noticed that Wanda hung back a little bit, obviously still unsure as to where she was with Tony. He had come back from meeting with Pepper, so he wore a sharp suit and his trademark colourful sunglasses. He looked a bit intimidating, but you didn’t let that stop you. 

“Mr Stark, I strongly believe that Rosa is the strongest. Peter thinks it’s Terry and Wanda is going with Holt. Now I know that I’m right so all you have to do is tell them!” you joked.

Tony blinked, “Is this Brooklyn Nine-Nine?” he asked. You all nodded impatiently. Tony spread his arms and made a big of show of it like the drama queen he was and said, “Sorry children but Gina is the strongest!” He smirked down at you all, “But if I had to choose one of yours, I’d have to go with Holt. Sorry Y/n, Peter, it just seems as though me and Wanda have won this round” he announced and winked at her.

She looked pleased and she gave a him a small smile back. He then sauntered away while you and Peter grumbled. That day, something else happened between Tony and Wanda because the next time they saw each other, they were perfectly comfortable each other and Tony adopted another orphan.

Now it had come to the attention of a certain pair of super spies that you had no way to defend yourself against even the smallest of attacks. “Hey! I managed to beat that guy from before!” you protested.

Barton rolled his eyes and beckoned for you to follow him to one of the training rooms. You followed. You were wearing your sports clothes when you arrived at the ring but you wanted to go back.

Waiting for you was Romanoff who was also in her combat gear. She had left out all of her weapons but that didn’t make her any less deadly. Barton stepped into the ring with her. “Now Y/n, Natasha’s just going to be teaching you some of the basics of self-defence. After that you can decide if you want to learn more or not. We just think that it is important for you to defend yourself” he called out.

You shifted awkwardly, well aware that you had no significant muscle mass on you. “Don’t worry about how strong you are. Often, if you have the right technique then strength isn’t an issue” said Romanoff. You nodded before joining them, “So, what’s the plan?”.

The plan was that Romanoff would teach you something and you would practise it on her. When she deemed you confident enough you would try it out on Clint. You focused mainly on your size. Romanoff told you that it was actually an advantage to being smaller.

“When enemies first see you, you automatically have an advantage if you know what you are doing. You are a girl, small and you do not present yourself as a fighter,” she began, and you bristled “This means that they underestimate you which gives you the ability to control the fight” she finished. You nodded along, not really getting where she was going.

“If you want to let them think that, then it’s fine. You can try and run or hide and it is unlikely that they will spend too much effort in finding you. Your size makes it easy to slip away anyway. However, if you want to go on the offensive then you can use their underestimation of you as an advantage. They won’t hit you as hard as they can, but you can” she assumed a fighting stance.

“The first hit is vital and often determines who wins the fight” she said and demonstrated a punch to the face. “Go for their most sensitive areas. Don’t bother trying to go for the abdomen, jaw or thighs. Go for the sides, crotch and head” she continued. You watch in awe as she quickly attacked the invisible assailant before her.

Of course, you knew what the most sensitive parts of the body were. Part of your internship had a large medical part to it involving learning anatomy. That involved the areas with the most nerves and what was most affected in a fight. 

Clint joined in, “In a fight, strength is important, but it is not the determining factor. You’re smart. Use that. Don’t waste time and energy using your fists. Look at your surroundings or go for his most obvious weaknesses. That’s how you knocked out the other guy isn’t it? You knew your surroundings and the weapons at your disposal” he noted. 

You were practising your punching and strikes with Romanoff while dodging some of her own. After a while you started to get used to it and you felt your senses sharpen.

“Whenever you feel yourself getting into a rhythm, get out of it. That makes you predictable and any experienced fighter will be able to defeat you easily” called out Barton. You grunted as one of Romanoff’s punches landed on your shoulder.

You knew she was holding back but you appreciated that she was taking it seriously and was not afraid to hurt you.

“You are lucky enough to have a relatively high pain threshold, at least from what I’ve seen” commented Romanoff. She was barely out of breath while you were panting. “That means that you can go for longer than the average person, but it also means that you have to keep yourself in check. Do not strain yourself, it could be your undoing” she continued before knocking your feet out from beneath you.

She did it subtly and you didn't even notice until you saw the ceiling. You got up straight away and readied yourself. Romanoff didn’t waste any time and you both continued.

Your muscles were sore, and you ached to lie down, but you told yourself that you could hold out a little bit longer. You soaked up what they had told you and finally decided to try something new.

As you were dodging Romanoff’s punches you noticed that she always left her right side open. She was right handed so her right side would be harder to defend. You waited for your opportunity and when you saw it, instead of dodging away. You leapt to the side and followed the line of her punch to elbow her as hard as you could on the side.

For the first time, she stepped backwards so your elbow only grazed her. She stopped and you took a rest. At first you thought you did something wrong and that you should have stuck to what she taught you but then you saw her look up and smile.

It was a little bit frightening. You had never seen her smile at all. You’ve seen pictures of her smirking but never a genuine happy smile. “Good” she commented. Then she pushed you towards Barton, who was waiting the whole time “Now fight him” she instructed.

You whirled around, already exhausted, “What!” you exclaimed before you saw Barton get to his feet. Romanoff slipped out of the ring and you turned around to face Barton. You really wanted to get this over and done with but a look from Romanoff told you that it wouldn’t be that easy.

You readied yourself and Barton did the first hit. You dodged and attempted to attack back. It carried on like that for a while. It probably was only 20 seconds but for you it felt like hours. You were already thinking of strategies in your head.

You decided to pretend to be going into a pattern but feign out of it. You noted that Barton still had his utility belt on, and it contained a grappling hook. Your plan fell into place.

First you aimed for his left shoulder. He dodged. You spun around and tried for his side and he countered that with a punch of his own. By now it would have been obvious that you were travelling down the body. You feigned going for his crotch, an area that he had already begun to defend, and you instead went for his belt.

To protect his crotch, he angled his right hip forward. You took a gamble and decided that he may instinctively angle right towards you since you had been focusing on his left. It worked and you pressed the button for the grappling hook to release.

Barton looked down in muted shock before he was hoisted into the air. You looked up at your handiwork but jumped back when he let himself down. You were tired and your movements were slow, your trump card having been played.

He managed to knock you to the floor, and he pinned you there. “Okay… I lose, you win. Good for you” you muttered. The pressure eased and you took his offered hand to stand up. 

There was the sound of an applause. Romanoff was looking on, not bothering to disguise the pride on her face and next to her were Sam and Wanda. They were clapping at you, “Y/n, that was amazing! You sent Hawkeye flying! You should have seen the look on his face” whooped Sam.

You blushed. “That’s enough for today” called out Romanoff and you nodded. You and Barton hopped out of the ring. “Okay, so now we’re going to talk about what you did well and what you could improve on” said Romanoff.

Sam and Wanda waved goodbye and walked out. Before he left Sam said that he was making pasta and you all promised that you’d join them soon.

You were left along with Romanoff and Barton and were ready to hear what they had to say. “Okay, the stuff you need to improve on first. We can both tell that you are still very hesitant with your hits and that can’t happen. When you hit someone, you need to hit them for real- especially in training. We may have been holding back but we still made sure you felt every punch. You also need to work on your endurance and agility. You lasted longer than I thought but you can’t waste energy on useless hits” began Barton. Romanoff picked up from where he left off, “You also stand too wide. You copied my stance which is good, but you need to practise keeping it. A bigger target means a bigger chance at getting hurt. We should work on making your hits more painful too” she finished.

You weren’t exactly surprised. “It shouldn't have escaped your notice that these are all things that we can fix with practise. They all rely on your physical training, which is not really an issue” reminded Barton. You nodded, “Yes sir, I understand!”.

“And no more of this sir or Mr and Ms. Just call us by our first names. I’m Clint and this lovely lady is Natasha” he winked. You rolled your eyes, “Okay then.”

“Now for what you did well. You are a quick learner. Once you see something and understand it, you seem to be able to replicate it well enough. You also listened to what we taught you and used it against us. That was very well done” complemented Natasha. Clint agreed with her, “At first when I saw you following a pattern, I was disappointed that you had forgotten what we told you. But then you went for the belt and I had no words for how happy I was!” smiled Clint.

“Thanks Clint! But I’m pretty sure that you and Natasha let me land a lot of those hits” you said.

Natasha shook her head, “We were testing to see if you would take them. Yes, I may have left my side open, but it was up to you to recognise that. Then it was a matter of whether or not you would use it to your advantage. A fair number of trainees miss it and even more decided to ignore it. When you changed your tactics and did something I hadn’t taught you, you proved that you were able to recognise patterns and deal with them. For someone who has never been trained before, it is impressive”.

You basked in her compliments. This was unreal. The Black Widow, one of the greatest hand to hand fighters in the world was complimenting you. You couldn’t help your smile of pure happiness.

“Natasha’s right. When you went for the hook I was surprised. A bold choice but a very effective one. You thought outside the box and surprising me and impressing Natasha is not easy” smiled Clint. He pat your back and you beamed.

“Okay, I think we all deserve a bit of a break. Sam’s making pasta” reminded Natasha. You and Clint nodded and you all head out to the dining area. “Wait up for me, I’m getting Mr Stark!” you called out as you turned around to head to the labs.

“Sure, thing kid!” yelled Clint and you continued your way down.

You knew that Mr Stark had been in his workshop all day and after checking with Friday, you confirmed that he hadn’t eaten anything considered real food. 

You walked in, “Mr Starrrrk!” you sing songed, “It’s dinner time. Sam made food!”. He turned around in his swivel chair. “I’m busy” he said.

You ignored him and started to help close his projects and saving them. “Y/n come on! I’m doing things!” he said. You raised an eyebrow, “You’re skipping pasta to work on…. Automatic cheese graters?”

He shrugged, “It’s important” he whined. You shook your head and helped him up. He didn’t resist and you knew the battle was won when you heard his belly rumbling. “Fine. Pasta sounds good” he grumbled. You grinned and accompanied him up the elevator.

He rubbed his bleary eyes, “What the hell happened to you?” he questioned. “Natasha and Clint were teaching me how to defend myself” you told him. “Oh really” he said, and he left it. You knew he would probably be checking to see if you were injured at all, but you seemed even more happy than usual.

When you made it to the communal floor you could immediately smell the pasta. You and Tony entered the room to see Sam arguing with Barnes about how much cheese should be used. You continued to push Tony forward in case he chickened out at the sight of Rogers and Barnes, but he carried on confidently. 

Soon everyone quieted down, and you all began to eat. Surprisingly it wasn’t awkward at all. It had a warm, homey atmosphere to it, and you were reminded of your own home dinners. Turns out that everyone had come.

You, Tony and Peter sat together with Tony in the middle. Next to you was Wanda who also sat next to Rogers. On the other side of the table was Clint, Natasha, Sam and Barnes. There was a fragile peace, and everyone forgot the past for the hour. When it was over everyone said goodnight and you saw how things had been before the ‘Civil War’. 

The Avengers were a family. And like all families, they had fallen apart but there were still the foundations there and maybe they could rebuild what they had lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so you're now on good terms with more of the Avengers- Clint and Natasha are really awesome. And a hint of the family life is really shining through.
> 
> I hope that you guys enjoyed the chapter!


	13. First Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Peter are finally going home, when you are ambushed at the airport. The avengers come to save you, but they may be too late.

You, Clint and Natasha continued to train when you were in the tower and they didn’t have missions. Usually you settled to 2-3 times a week since you had to focus on catching up with school work. You, Wanda and Peter were still good friends and you were glad that Wanda was able to be a kid once in a while instead of a superhero. You and Tony continued to get along like a house on fire and you loved spending time with Sam.

Though you weren’t on a first name basis with Rogers and Barnes, they treated you with respect and even laughed at some of your jokes. Out of all the Avengers, they were the most reserved and preferred to spend time with themselves. They were also the only ones that had unresolved issues with Tony.

It was better now that most of the team had fixed their problems with each other but there was still a plausible tension all the time Tony, Barnes and Rogers were left in a room together. This meant that there was an unspoken rule that they could not be left alone by accident or on purpose. They still worked well as a team on the outside, but in the tower, something still felt out of place.

Eventually, the investigation into the break in finished and neither you or Peter were briefed about it. Peter had figured out that their old supplier had been the Vulture, the guy that he had taken down without the suit. Other than that, you were left in the dark. It was frustrating because no one would tell you if they were still out there or not. “You’re safe now, there’s nothing to worry about” did nothing to placate you.

When you and Peter finally packed up to leave, you received a small audience. Clint, Natasha and Sam and been shipped out to Spain to sort something out while Rogers was on a solo mission for Shield. They had already said goodbye to you and Peter, so it was fine.

Tony insisted making sure that you had made it home safely but you and Peter both assured him that Happy driving you to the airport was more than enough. You gave Wanda and Tony a hug and a shy wave to Barnes who was hiding further back. He had still come out to see you go but was still unsure of your feelings about him. Obviously, it came back to the fact that you knew about the Stark assassination, but you knew that it was none of your business to discuss it with him. Even if you thought it would make him feel better.

You waved everyone goodbye before you and Peter jumped into the back seat with your luggage. There wasn’t much since Tony insisted that you kept most of your clothes and projects at the tower since you’d be coming back soon.

The drive to the airport was short and sweet with Happy making sure that you had everything you needed. “Passports?”   
“Got them right here!” you held yours up and Peter held up his.  
“Hand luggage?” he checked, and you and Peter pointed to each other’s backpacks.  
“Boarding ticket?”, you and Peter nodded.  
“Do you know when to board?” he asked again and you lifted an eyebrow, “It’s literally on the ticket” you responded.  
He faltered and then nodded. “Okay then, seems like you know what you’re doing. I guess I’ll see you later” he finally said.

“Bye Happy!” called out Peter when he got back into the car. You both waved him goodbye and headed into the airport yourselves.

No one took any notice of you and you realised that for the first time in months you were back around ‘normal’ people. It was refreshing and you and Peter looked forward to getting back home. The tower and the Avengers were amazing, but you began to miss everyone back at home.

You had only missed the first week and a half of school so there wasn’t much you had to catch up on. It seems as though life was going back to normal.

“Hey Peter, I’ll meet you back here. I want to go to the toilet” you told him. You left your luggage with him and he pulled out his Stark phone to pass the time. You took your backpack with you and went to the ladies bathroom. There was no one else there and you took the opportunity to relieve yourself. 

When you walked back out there was still no one around. You frowned. The airport wasn’t that busy when you got there, but having an empty bathroom gave you a bad feeling. Your training from Natasha and Clint clicked in and you approached the sink cautiously. You carried on as usual, but you made sure you kept an eye on the door. 

Your mind flashed back to what Natasha had told you, “If you feel as though something is wrong, then take it seriously. Your instincts can and will save your life one day. If it comes down to it, run.”

Suddenly the door opened, and a group of old ladies walked in. They were chattering loudly, and you suppressed your jump at the shock of noise. One of them looked at you, ‘Are you alright?” she asked kindly. You smiled slowly and nodded, “Yeah I’m okay. Have a nice day!” you responded and walked out to find Peter.

He was exactly where he was before, and he seemed to be perfectly fine. You let out a breath. “Hey Pete, is your spider sense tingling?” you asked slowly. He looked up in surprise, “No, everything is fine here. Why ask? Did something happen, you were in there for a while” he asked worriedly. “No, no. Nothing like that. I was just feeling paranoid” you reassured him.

Just to be safe, you decided to turn on Karen and ask her to set a tracker on you and Peter. No harm in that. “Better safe than sorry” was one of Clint’s favourite mottos considering he was a large risk taker.

You and Peter got something to eat while you waited and eventually went to check in your luggage. You then went to wait below at the terminal. You decided to sit down in a fairly busy area where you could keep an eye on most of the entrances and exits. Peter picked up a bit on your suspicion and let you do whatever you felt like to feel safer.

Your time at the tower really changed you a lot, you mused.

Slowly, the trickle of people began to stop, and they boarded their flights. Soon, only you and Peter were left with a handful of people. “Y.n…” whispered Peter. “Yeah?” you whispered back.  
He shifted to hide his mouth using your hair, “You know how you were asking about my Spidey sense before. Well…. It’s going crazy right now.”

You shuddered, ‘We need to leave. Now!” you murmured. His face looked tight and drawn. You realised how underprepared you both were. Peter couldn’t reveal his identity as Spiderman and his suit was currently getting put onto a plane. You knew enough self-defence to last in a fight against a not so skilled opponent, but you had a feeling that whoever was causing this unease was well trained and dangerous.

You both stood up and leave as quietly as possible, but a security guard stopped you. “Are you two kids alright?” he asked. You smiled brightly at him, “Yeah we’re fine. We just realised we forgot something, and we have to go get it before we get on the plane!” you chirped. You tried to keep your heartbeat normal and pretended as though nothing was wrong.

You and Peter went to pass the guard but kept his hands up and wide, so he was clearly blocking you. “I don’t think so kids” he murmured. 

You and Peter immediately knew that you were in danger. The people who were previously sitting down in the airport were now standing up and drawing out weapons. You and Peter were outmatched. 

There was a tense pause before Peter punched the security guard and it was a blur from then on. Peter yelled at you to call Tony and you got out your phone to do just that. Despite not having his suit, Peter was doing well and had already managed to take out two of the pursuers. It didn’t seem like many of them had any guns, probably due to security reasons. Or maybe they did they just didn’t want to risk shooting in case someone else heard.

Tony was a phone call away but the moment you whipped out our phone, a man and woman jumped at you. Instinct from fighting Natasha and Clint kicked in as you dodged both and ran away. You tucked your phone in your jacket pocket and zipped it up. 

You immediately grabbed a stand that was nearby and brandished it as a weapon. Natasha had decided that it was important that you knew how the basics of how to use a variety of weapons- a staff being one of them.

The man and woman didn’t hesitate, and they continued their pursuit, though they kept their guns at their hips. They obviously did not perceive you as a great threat. “Come at me bro!” you muttered as they charged. 

You dodged and hit them back as hard as you could. The two of them were fast and strong but you managed to fend them off. Finally, you saw an opening and took it. You stepped into the woman’s space and elbowed her in the ribs. You then smashed her face into the stand, and you were satisfied at the pained groan.

The man jumped on your back and pulled you down to the ground and you wrapped your legs around him and used all your core strength to come back around and scratch his face. His hands were still on your shoulders, but your hands were lightning fast. Your nails were sharp, and each reached their mark. You dug your fingers into his head and viciously twisted them. The man roared and let you go. 

“When you fight. You fight to survive. Do not be afraid to hurt or even permanently damage your opponent” Clint’s voice echoed.

The woman came for you again and you were punched in the stomach and winded. You immediately got to your feet when Peter came flying into you after being hit. “Why haven’t you called him yet!” he groaned as he lifted himself off you.

“I’m busy you dumb nut!” you yelled as you pulled him back down in time for a chain to miss him. You rolled over and grabbed the chain when it came back. Peter went to go deal with the woman after quickly knocking out the man you had blinded. 

The chain burned as you grabbed on to it and suddenly you were tugged forward. You used the momentum to rush towards him and used his chain to wrap around whatever part you could. He twisted and went to kick you, so you grabbed his leg and swiftly broke it. 

Natasha had demonstrated it to you had tried it on large blocks of wood. As it turns out, the guy had a muscly leg and you probably only mildly sprained it, but it was enough. You squeezed tighter until you saw his face lower. You leapt at his face and grabbed a hold of his head before swinging a leg over his shoulder. You used the whole of your weight to smash his head on the ground. He did not get up.

Fumbling, you grabbed your phone and hit speed dial to Tony. Then, you were knocked sideways by another woman dressed in a grey pantsuit. The heels dug into your upper arm and you swore at her. She reached down to your phone so you did the only thing you could think of. You spat in her face and threw the phone away. She towered over you and raised a fist to hit you over the head but then she grunted and fell to the side as Peter kicked her in the ribs. There was a satisfying crack.

Peter had definitely gotten better at fighting and was now blatantly using whatever skills he had at his disposal. He left a trail of unconscious bodies behind. He helped you up and you surveyed the damage.

There were seven people in total, not including the security guard. Four men and three women, all in business clothes. “Where did the rest go?” you asked Peter. He shrugged and looked around with a wary eye. You could have sworn there were at least 15 people. 

Then you remembered your phone. You rushed over to find that it was off and was not ringing Tony. Your blood ran cold. Someone must have turned it off. You heard a buzz and threw yourself backwards just in time to see another man pop out with a taser “Come on man” you complained and ran towards the unconscious woman that had nearly grabbed the phone before.

You slid towards her as there was an explosion sending Peter skidding backwards. The missing eight people were back, and they were fully armed. They probably used the time it took for you and Peter to get rid of the seven others to arm themselves. You reached into the woman’s pocket and pulled out a plastic gun. 

You used her body as a shield and turned off the safety. “Here goes nothing…” you muttered before you stood up and ran behind a couch. Peter joined you, ‘We are so fucked!” he panted. You saw that a bullet had grazed his arm. “Bad time but how good is your aim?” you questioned and held up the gun.

“.... I’ve never fired a gun before” he reasoned. You rolled your eyes, “Clint’s gonna kill me if I mess this up” you told him. There were 7 rounds, barely enough. The people had stopped firing and soon you knew why. A grey sphere rolled to where you and Peter were. “Shit!” you yelped as Peter reached across and picked it up.

He ducked upwards and pitched it as hard as he could, and he fell back down as he got shot at there was a large explosion right over your heads. You took your chance and faced them and began to fire. You kept your hands steady and your mind clear. 

Aim and fire. Aim and fire. Aim and fire. 

You shot three times before you had to go back down again. You had managed to hit two people. One in the chest and the other in the stomach. “Oh my god, I just shot two people” you gasped. You heard shouting and running feet. 

For the first time, you felt a real stab of fear. You held the gun so tightly your knuckles were white, and you saw Peter ready himself. 

Then, the glass in front of you shattered as Captain America and Falcon came through. You sagged in relief and Peter actually whooped.

Rogers and Sam took care of whatever was left of the bad guys as you and Peter tried to catch your breath. Soon, Tony came flying through and you could feel his urge to blast everything to hell. He nodded at Rogers before marching over to you and Peter. His suit opened as he stepped out and you could see that he was not happy. Nope. His face was very, very not happy.

As he approached you tried a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. Neither you or Peter had gotten up, so he squat down to look you both in the eye. “Are you alright” he asked quietly. You nodded hesitantly and his eyes flickered to the gun in your hands. He slowly reached out and pried it from your frozen fingers. 

“Okay, up we get!” he grunted and hoisted both you and Peter up. Peter seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was having and began talking animatedly to Tony, but you were silent. You ignored the concerned looks you got and put your hands in your pocket. There were steady. Your hands never shook once.

Peter had dealt with this stuff before, but you never had, and you were not prepared to think about the aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so you've finally seen some action and have been able to put your training to good use. In doing so, you are also establishing yourself as a potential recruit for the Avengers team (hint hint). However, you are still a bit shaken up. Adrenaline is good and all and it may not seem like such a big deal, but in reality things like this are quite jarring. That being said, you're not traumatized permanently or anything but, when considering whether or not you want to join the team, you need to think about your ability to injure others badly.
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter!


	14. To lie or not to lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers try to figure out to to break bad news.

Within minutes, Shield had the area surrounded and no one got in or out without being approved and checked. You and Peter had been briefed before Mr Stark stepped in, “They’re going back home. Now!”, his voice left no room for argument.

Natasha and Clint volunteered to stay behind while the rest of you went back to the tower. You were guided gently by Peter as you sat down in the car to drive away. You saw that Mr Stark and Rogers were arguing over something. It was obviously about you and Peter. Your mind connected the dots, “So much for your secret identity” you said softly. Peter startled and laughed sheepishly, “Actually I’m pretty sure a few of them figured it out. I’m not sure about Captain America though…”

Happy drove you and Peter back, his face grave. He kept checking the mirror and you chose to look out the window and ignore him. You felt tired, both physically and emotionally. Your body ached were you had been attacked or stretched yourself too far and you could see bruises forming. Your hands were caked in blood and you had a flashback to when you gouged out your attackers eyes.

You looked away and withdrew into yourself more. You couldn’t bear to look at or even move your hands. “Hey Y/n, you know you can talk to me about anything” said Peter gently. You smiled weakly, “I know.”

Upon entering the tower, you immediately went to wash your hands. You scrubbed and scrubbed to get the blood and other fluids off your hand and your actions became frantic and erratic. Peter stayed back, having never seen you like this before.

You mindlessly worked your hands over until they hurt as your eyes began to tear up. You felt a gentle hand on your shoulder and a metal one offering you a towel to dry your hands. It was Barnes and he had a sympathetic look on his face. You didn’t say anything but wiped your hands slowly and methodically. 

This was pathetic. There was no way you had gotten this worked out over some blood. It had never bothered you before and it most certainly didn’t bother you in the moment. If you had to do it again, then you would. So why did you still feel dirty.

Barnes guided you to the couch and sat you down. He then left you to your thoughts and returned with a cup of hot chocolate. You looked up at him, clearly puzzled, “You have an obvious sweet tooth” he shrugged, and you were grateful for the normalcy. 

He eyed Peter before leaving you both alone. Soon Tony and Rogers walked in, clearly having finished a serious debate. Their eyes softened at you and Peter on the couch. Tony came to sit down next to you and eyed the cup of hot chocolate, “Hey, it’s mine! Mr Barnes made it for me” you said playfully. Tony rolled his eyes and glanced around looking for the already gone Barnes.

Although you put a smile on your face, you felt empty inside and was glad for the hot and sweet drink in your hands to anchor you.

There was then a steady flow of the rest of the Avengers as they gathered around and on the couches. A stream of conversation began that you listened to half-heartedly. They talked about the attack and what had happened. You and Peter were asked to clarify a lot of things but other than that you were silent, still mulling things over in your head.

They all asked if you were alright and you were getting a bit sick of it. “I’m fine!” you hissed, “Can everyone please stop asking if I am alright? I am perfectly fine, I’m not even that hurt. I just want some peace and quiet!” you continued. Your sudden burst of fury silenced them, even Rogers.

Tony opened his mouth to say something and you gave him a pointed glare before Clint piped up, “I agree with Y/n. Just let her rest” he said. Tony closed his mouth after giving you a reproachful look and nodded. 

You stiffly thanked them and marched to the lift which was already open. You instructed Friday to bring you up to your floor where you quickly showered. You were clean and felt much more relaxed in the silence of the room. Peter was still getting chewed out for being spider man.

You entered your room and breathed a sleepy sigh of relief. You fell on the bed and immediately fell asleep.

Downstairs, the Avengers had finished with Peter and were now talking amongst themselves. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” hissed Tony as he rounded on Clint and Natasha. They stood unwavering. “You could have gotten Y/n killed! I said that it was fine to teach her some self-defence, not how to shoot a gun or gouge someone’s eye out!”

“We taught her what she needed. Even you can’t deny that those skills have saved her life” said Natasha firmly. 

“Look man, we know that you care about them a lot, but you need to understand that they need to know how to defend themselves by any means necessary” explained Clint. 

At Tony’s helpless look Sam stepped in, “We care about them too and of course we don’t like to see them get hurt” he said gently, “And Clint is right. Y/n especially came out pretty much unscathed-”

“Unscathed! Are you blind Wilson? Maybe Y/n’s mind hasn’t caught up with what is happening, but she is clearly having a hard time processing things. She’s not like you or me. We are used to this lifestyle and we understand why we have to do the things we do but she doesn’t! She’s going to wake up tomorrow and the rest of her life, knowing what she has done!” ranted Tony.

“You’re making it out as though she killed someone! Yes, she has blinded a man and broken a few bones of others, but it was life or death!” stepped in Wanda. Tony’s shoulder slumped and he was silent. Wanda faltered, “Right…?” she hesitated. Tony wouldn’t meet her eyes.

Finally, it was Rogers who spoke up. “The man Y/n shot in the chest died almost instantly. It was a clean shot- right through the heart.” The room was deafened. Clint shuffled on his feet.

Tony buried his face in his hands, “How are we going to tell Y/n, that she killed someone? You all saw how distraught she was. She won’t take it well. She wants to save lives and she is way too young to have taken one” he moaned. Clint bowed his head but refused to apologize for your lethal aim.

“It is terrible that Y/n must be burdened with this knowledge, but she did it and so she should know” began Natasha, “In this life, you are bound to take a life one way or another”.

“But she is so young. And she is not one of us! She is not a super soldier, a genius or a super spy! She shouldn’t have to deal with this on her conscience” said Sam sadly.

“So, your great plan is to not tell her!” sniped Tony. He was obviously unhappy. No one spoke. No one wanted to break the horrible news, and everyone knew that it could be incredibly damaging to your mental health.

“What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her” reasoned Steve finally. 

Tony glared at him, “You should know, that’s what you did to me” he spat. The tension in the room soared as Steve grit his teeth. 

“She is much too young and inexperienced to be damaged by something like this. What if she can’t handle it and breaks. It not only makes her vulnerable, but it makes us vulnerable!” argued Steve.

Tony scoffed, “Wow, of course you don’t actually care about her well-being. It’s all about the ‘team’ isn’t it” he sneered.

Steve began to talk again when another voice chimed in.

“Stark is right” said Bucky as he re-emerged from the shadows. Tony and Steve fell silent and Tony refused to flush over the fact he had clearly been making a dig about Steve and Bucky.

“But Buck…” trailed Steve when Bucky put his hand up to silence him.

“Stark is right. Secrets broke this team apart. Y/n deserves to know the truth and take responsibility for her actions, besides” Bucky’s eyes met Tony’s, “she is stronger than you think”.

Silence fell again. “I’ll tell her. I was the one who taught her how to fire a gun, so I’ll deal with the consequences” said Clint. The rest agreed and the impromptu meeting disbanded. Tony nodded his thanks at Bucky before he left, and Clint went to talk to Natasha on his own.

“I don’t regret any of it” offered Natasha and Clint’s grim expression. 

“I know, me neither. But Sam was right. She’s so young” he pointed out. Natasha shook her head, “Obviously you haven’t been listening. Y/n is stronger than you think. And even though she may be knocked down for a while, she will get back up. And she will get back up stronger than what she was” said Natasha softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter! 
> 
> So things have gotten a little more interesting, other than the little fight between Steve and Tony, someone has been killed. This is really serious and anyone might feel tremendously guilty and/or mortified. I have never known anyone with this sort of experience but I imagine that it is quite jarring at the very least, no matter how prepared you think you are.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	15. Breaking Bad News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint goes up to your room to tell you of your actions, but the conversation doesn't go as expected.

The next day, it was decided that Clint would go up to your room and tell you what had happened. Tony had arranged for a therapist to be in the tower at the time whenever he had finished so you could have the proper help you needed. The rest of the team stood clear of both you and Peter, so not to stress either of you out.

When you had woken up and gotten ready, Friday told Peter to go down to the common area and Clint was alerted that it was time.

Clint took the elevator up to your floor in silence. He was going through how he was going to break it to you. He thought about his own kids and what would happen if they had to be put in that situation and he felt a sense of protectiveness. Even though he knew that Peter was Spiderman and you had proven yourself to be more than capable of protecting yourself, he knew that deep down you were still incredibly young.

The doors opened to an empty living room, this was the first time he had ever been to your floor before. “Friday, where is-” he began before you walked in.

“I’m here. What do you want?” you asked curtly.

Clint went to one of the couches and sat down. He pat the cushion next to him and you went to go sit down.

Clint sunk into the cushions, “Man this is nice. Tony sure does like you two, this is probably better than the one in my room!” he commented. You gave him a sly smile, “Me and Peter have our ways.” Clint chuckled and continued to look around.

He wasn’t lying when he said that it looked very nice. He had only seen Natasha's rooms before and it always surprised him how different every room was. “Tony designed each one for our own needs” you explained when he pointed it out.

Clint nodded and the two of you were silent. “So, why are you really here? I’m assuming it’s not for medical reasons” you finally said. To his credit, Clint barely flinched. “Well, in a way it is” he ended up saying.

You lifted an eyebrow, “Continue” you told him.

Clint’s playful expression morphed into a much more serious one. “I taught you well, didn’t I. Your aim with that gun was impeccable” he said softly. 

You tensed, sensing where the conversation was leading. “I missed. I only got 2 out of 3” you commented evenly. 

“I know,” smiled Clint sadly. “Your aim was good. And you should not feel guilty about pulling the trigger, but you should know that there are always consequences when these things happen” he explained.

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. You met his eyes grimly, “I know. I know that I killed that man” you told him.

Clint jerked in your grip and looked at your crestfallen face. You continued, “I am not proud of it, but I don’t think that I regret it either”.

“How did you know?” asked Clint quietly. “Did someone tell you or-”

“I knew the moment I shot him” you said, and Clint closed his mouth and had a confused look in his eye.

“I have been an intern in the medical area of Stark Industries for well over 2 months now. I know where the heart is, and I know what happens if it is damaged by a bullet. I didn’t consciously register it at the time, but I have had time to reflect on it and I figured it out myself” you explained.

Clint’s face was drawn, “How do you feel?” he finally settled on. 

“I’m alright. But I know that I will time to heal and take it all in. I’m not stupid. I know that this will affect me, but I am hoping to make it short term. I know that I didn’t kill him out of maliciousness or cruelty, but as an act of defence and survival. I will cope with this, but in my own way. So please, tell everyone not to worry and to treat me as they normally would. Unless….” you trailed off.

“Unless what? You can tell me Y/n” confided Clint. You hesitated and spoke again softly,   
“Unless this makes you all think of me differently” you finished.

Clint looked at you in shock and shook his head, “No! Absolutely not! We know that you did what you did out of self-defence and we understand better than anyone that sometimes people die in the line of work. We just want to make sure that you are okay” he exclaimed.

Your playful demeanour was back, “Good. Now you can leave and tell everyone what I just told you” you said and playfully punched him in the shoulder. Clint seemed relieved at you readiness to heal and smiled back at you, “If you say so!” he responded and made his way to the elevator.

Looks like Bucky and Natasha were right after all, you were stronger and more level-headed than anyone had given you credit for.

Clint went down to the common room to relay what you had told him. Natasha, Sam and Wanda seemed to be proud at your refusal to be beaten by what happened to you.

Tony was a bit more hesitant, but the relief was evident in his eyes.   
Steve however chimed in, “How do we know that she isn't lying? From what I have seen Y/n is clever with her words, to the point of being manipulative. She could easily be hiding her true feelings.”

Tony bristled, “Y/n is not a liar. Besides, I am sure that Clint would be able to figure it if a teenager was lying to him” he snorted.

Steve’s expression softened, “I know. She’s a good kid, but I don’t want her to feel as though she has to put up a front. She’s taken a life. She needs help, Peter too. They have been through a traumatic event and I know that no one wants them to be under more stress than they need” he explained.

Tony’s shoulders slumped as he wordlessly accepted Steve’s advice. “Fine. We’ll compromise. Y/n have to go back to school soon, but each will have a psych eval. Shield will not be involved” he said with a pointed glance towards Natasha and Clint who both shrugged.

This seemed to satisfy Steve, “Thank you Tony” he said. Tony did a half salute before heading back out, presumably to the labs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that everyone is doing alright and you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> In case anyone was wondering, the reason why I chose Clint to tell the bad news was because he is such a dad figure. I know lot of other people don't really see him as that but he is a dad to some amazing kids and he would be someone who would know how to talk to a teen without talking down at them or making them uncomfortable.
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter will be focused more on Bucky, so stay tuned!


	16. Bucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Bucky finally have a chat and Bucky gets closure.

You were avoiding the labs, not because you didn't feel like working but because you were avoiding Tony. You knew he would want to check on you, but you just wanted to be left alone.

Eventually night came and you fell asleep. You dreamt of a science exhibit and you marvelled at all the new inventions. Suddenly there was a blast and you were thrown to the ground. You looked around you and everyone had disappeared. There was a flaming figure in front of you with no eyes and you screamed and shot him in the chest. The gun appeared out of nowhere and was heavy in your hands. Blood spurted all across your face and hands and it didn’t stop.

Soon you were drowning in the warm and heavy blood and you opened your mouth to scream when it rushed in and choked you. All you could taste, and smell was the metallic tang of fresh blood.

You woke up suddenly screaming and you through your covers away, needing to be free of them. You had tears in your eyes and rubbed them away. Your room was stifling hot and you rushed to get out of there. 

Your mind kept going back to your nightmare and so you kept moving. You took the stairs all the way down and when you re-emerged you were in the common area. The large, cool space soothed you and you ignored Friday asking if you needed help.

Shakily, you lay down on the couch and looked impassively into the TV screen.

You were still huddled on the couch when you saw movement out of the corner of your eye. You stiffened and kept your hands in your lap so no one could see them shaking. “You’re up early” commented Barnes as he stood over you.

You shrugged silently.

“Friday said that you weren’t feeling too good and I happened to be here already. Wanna tell me what happened?” he gently pried.

You shifted, knowing that staying silent was probably a bit rude for the ex-assassin so you told him that you had a nightmare about what happened at the airport. 

He nodded sympathetically. He reached out to touch your shoulder before hesitating and pulled his arm back. “You know that it’s alright to feel this way. You’ve killed someone, no matter the reasons… it is never easy” he said.

“I know…” you mumbled.

You refused to meet his eye, silently willing him to leave you alone however what he said next had you looking him in the eye incredulity. 

“I know that you might not think of me as much of a hero but-” he began but you interrupted him.

“I do. Think you are a hero, that is. Tony told me most of what happened so…. I know” you said.

Barnes blinked, before his face fell and was filled with guilt. “He told you huh? About his parents?” he inquired softly.

You nodded, shaken out of your stupor and feeling the need to explain what you thought to Bucky. “Not exactly. The video footage of the winter soldier...anyway, it was playing on his laptop. I just happened to see it and he explained to me what happened” you informed him.

Barnes visibly tensed, “So you’ve seen it. You’ve seen me in action. And you still call me a hero?” he chuckled darkly, “Stark hates me for what I did. You should too.”

You flinched at his cold tone, “He doesn’t hate you. He knows that you were under the control of Hydra and that nothing you did was under your control” you murmured gently.

Barnes smiled tiredly at you before shaking his head, “I’ve seen you in action Y/n, you don’t need to tell me what I want to hear. Not about something as serious as this”. You frowned, “Fine. If you won’t take my word, take his. Friday pull up the footage of me and Tony talking about the winter soldier” you requested. You saw how alert Barnes became and you kept your hand on his shoulder in case he wanted to leave. He stayed and, on the computer, screen flashed you and Tony’s conversation.

It started from when you had seen the footage and had a panic attack. Barnes looked at you guiltily and you gestured for him to continue watching. It then got to the point where Tony explained what had really happened and out of the corner of your eye you saw Barnes relax and look down at his metal hand.

The footage ended and you both sat in silence. Your nightmare was forgotten as you watched a plethora of emotions cross Barnes’ face.

You decided to speak up, “My parents died in a car crash too, along with my younger brother. I guess that’s something me and Tony have in common, so I get what he feels. I get why he was angry and hurt, but I also get that he needed time to process what happened. The way he reacted was wrong and he shouldn’t have tried to attack you, but I think he was just as hurt as you were. He doesn’t blame you for any of the deaths the winter soldier committed. No one should” you said gently.

To cheer him up a bit you added on cheekily, “And if anyone says otherwise tell me and I’ll make sure they’ll bathe in hot sauce”.

Finally, Bucky laughed, and it was the most open you had ever seen him. There was a gleam in his eye that could have been mistaken for unshed tears. 

“Not bad kid” he praised.

You felt a weight lift off your chest. It was nice knowing that you had helped Barnes in some way.

You used the opportunity to press on, “I don’t want to be pushy here, but I think that you and Tony should talk. Besides, I reckon the real reason why he was so upset was more about Steve lying to him. You should get Steve and Tony in a room together and force them to talk about it” you told him.

He looked down at you fondly, “I think I know why Stark keeps you around. You’re smarter than most kids your age. Braver too” he said, referring back to the first reason why the two of you were talking.

“I don’t know why, but I feel better now” you commented. Barnes looked at you, “Good. Remember that you can talk to me about anything okay. I get nightmares too, and I know how bad they get” he said while getting back up.

“I think I’ll call it a night. You should too, it’s almost 3:00 am” he pointed out. 

You rolled your eyes, “Old man” you called out. Barnes turned and smiled, “Call me Bucky kid” he responded before he walked into the elevators and up back to his room.

You didn’t know why but talking to Bucky did make you feel better. You stayed on the couch for a little bit longer before you decided to go back up. The past few days had been wild but soon you were going to go back home, might as well make the most of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! 
> 
> Yes, I decided that Bucky would find out about how Tony felt about his parent's death through you since you would be fairly neutral. 
> 
> Thanks for everything guys!


	17. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a cute little filler chapter for when you and Peter finally make it home.

After an annoyingly thorough psych eval, you and Peter were escorted by a heavily armed group (that was mostly the Avengers) to one of Tony’s private jets. Happy would be in there with you when you flew to make sure nothing terribly bad would happen.

“Ya’ll are so extra” you scoffed.

“Ya’ll need to stay safer” mimicked Sam and you gave him a dirty look. Everyone was treating you as they normally would, and you were glad. You had thought it over in your head and you had decided to move on. You wouldn’t let this man who tried to hurt you affect you in this way.

This time everyone was there for a goodbye and you shocked Tony and Steve by giving Bucky a quick hug. “I’m doing my history assignment on you old man” you joked, and he gave you a playful punch on the shoulder. “Good” he smiled hesitantly.

And so, you and Peter hopped onto the jet and headed back home.

You leant back on the comfy leather chair, “So… how much school have we missed” you finally asked. 

Peter groaned, “THREE WHOLE WEEKS!” he shrieked dramatically, and you covered your head in your hands. “Oh my God they move on so fast with some things I don’t even know if I can catch up!” you muttered.

For the rest of the trip back you and Peter debated on how your teachers would react when you had both finally come back.

“I miss Ned” you finally said.

“Yeah me too. I also miss MJ” sighed Peter.

You smiled, “Superheroes are great and all. But it’s a bit much isn’t it. Besides I’m pretty sure Queens is missing Spiderman.”  
The flight wasn’t long, so you and Peter just relaxed the whole time.

Peter was eating and exploring the private jet, much to the amusement of Happy. He tried to hide it with annoyance, but you saw the playful side of him. “Peter, what are you doing now?” he grumbled.

Peter popped up from behind the door, “Dude there are so many buttons in this thing!” he exclaimed. 

You were sitting down on one of the couches reading a book you had found on the plane. It didn’t look like one of Tony’s, so you assumed that it was probably Pepper’s or something. It was pretty interesting, so you elected to ignore Peter and Happy’s banter.

Happy rolled his eyes. “Hey kid don’t press them!” he called out.

Peter muffled voice came through, “...press them? Alrighty then” you heard, and you saw Happy’s eyes widen. “No!” he yelled and rushed to where Peter was.

You put the book down, eager to see what would happen. As you got up a disco ball dropped from the ceiling and the windows were blacked out. A bunch of flashing lights illuminated the now party plane. You were blinded by the blues, greens and pinks before you marched off to where Peter was.

Loud music started blaring through the speakers and you saw the door to the pilot’s cabin firmly sealed shut. You watched in amazement as a long pole slowly extended from the ceiling to the floor. You stopped to grab your phone and send Tony a video.

Happy came out flushed with a cheerful Peter. “Hey Happy, where did the pole come from?” he questioned. Happy’s neck turned red as he stuttered, “Nowhere you need to worry about.”

You and Peter shared a look and turned towards Happy. 

“So, is this what clubbing is like Mr Happy?”  
“Yeah! Where the people pole dance and stuff!”  
“Come to think of it Mr Stark is known for having wild parties....”  
“I wonder how many people’s...parts have…. You know”  
“You know I always had a feeling that Mr Barton would be a great pole dancer”  
“Me too! He’s pretty athletic”  
“No way! I bet Mr Stark is a great dancer. I can totally see him-”

Happy finally cut you and Peter off, “That is enough!” he groaned. You and Peter burst into fits of laughter. By now Happy had managed to turn off the lights and the music but the pole remained. 

You and Peter teased Happy for the rest of the trip but he never broke. Not once. He sat there stoically as you and Peter wove more and more elaborate stories of how the pole was used.

When you finally made it back to Queens, the Leeds and aunt May were waiting at the airport. It was a Saturday, so Ned was there too. 

“We missed you so much!” called out Peter and you both went to meet them. May thanked Happy for returning us both home safely and he flushed again. 

“Ned! SO much has happened! We met the Avengers and everything” you informed Ned when you, him and Peter were out of ear shot. Ned grinned, “Really!” he exclaimed. You and Peter nodded frantically and began explaining all the cool stuff that you had seen.

You were pulled back to the group when Happy said that he was going to go. You and Peter waved him goodbye. “By Mr Happy. Don’t let the pole hit you on the way back” you smirked. “Take care of yourself, I don’t want to have to come back” he responded gruffly.

You and Peter smiled, you were finally back home.

Back at the Compound.

Tony wondered why Happy needed him inside the plane. He and Clint decided to take a look inside and everything was normal except, “Hey Tony, what’s with the pole?” asked Clint. 

Tony waggled his eyebrows, “You know how it is. Long flights and such”. Clint whistled appreciatively much to Happy’s chagrin.

Tony looked at Happy questioningly, “But I’m pretty sure I had it put away.” Happy shrugged, “Kids…”

Tony laughed and went to get rid of it while Clint proved you and Peter right by attempting to dance as provocatively as possible on the pole.

“It’s been a long day” muttered Happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you all enjoy the new chapter! This was a lot of fun to right and I could totally imagine Happy becoming so flustered.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	18. Being a hero doesn't mean being super

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get into a bit of a scuffle and a few of the Avengers decide to sort it out.

Time flew by when you got back to school and while lots of people had pestered you and Peter about where you had been, they eventually died down once they realised you and Peter weren’t going to tell them anything.

The teachers had been understanding but had warned you that they didn’t really have the time to go over three weeks’ worth of work. You and Peter reassured them that you had everything under control. Nonetheless you got extensions for all your tests and assignments. You suspected that Principal Morita was also taking it easy on the two of you because he was the only one who really knew where you and Peter were and who you were with.

You weren’t able to really train or continue working on your projects without a lab, so you mostly spent time in your new apartment or at work.

The vet you had kind of ditched welcomed you back with open arms when you told him about the Avengers. You promised him that you would get Natasha’s and Clint’s signatures the next time you saw them.

“Alrighty then Y/n, ready to get back to work?” he asked playfully.  
“Of course!” you smiled.

It was soothing to be back in your old routine again and you felt at ease when you were filing things away and making sure everything was where it should be. The nurses flitted around you asking if you needed any help, but you laughed them off. “Guys I haven’t been missing for that long!”

It was getting late into the night when you heard screeching tires outside. That was never a good sign. The nurses gave themselves looks and one of them started preparing for a potential surgery. Moments later a man rushed in. He was covered in blood and in his arms was a large brown dog. 

“Please help him! I – I was driving and he just rushed in front of me and – and I couldn’t stop! Oh God there’s so much blood!” he cried.

One of the nurses quickly ushered the man and the dog to the surgery room and you made sure that nothing was in their way. The dog was put down on the table and the vet immediately began to assess the damage while another nurse staunched the bleeding and put pressure on the leg.

The dog was now unconscious, a very bad sign. 

The quickly took the man to the waiting room and offered a change of clothes. He shook his head and took off his jacket. “Will he be alright?” he asked. 

“I’m sorry Sir but I cannot tell you. The vet will tell you when he finishes” you informed him.

The man slumped, “Do you need a glass of water?” you asked.

He nodded and you went to fetch him one. The nurses were all gone, leaving you and the girl working the desk. You grabbed the water and noted the blood on the floor, ‘Clean that up” you ordered before you got back to the man.

You opened the door and gave the man the cup of water before leaving him to his thoughts. When you got back out you saw that everything had been cleaned and you nodded your thanks.

You decided to stay until you knew what the fate of the dog was. Finally, the vet came out and you rushed towards him, ‘What happened?”.

The vet wiped his sweaty brow, it had been 4 hours since he had gone into surgery, “He’ll be alright. But the leg was too badly damaged, we had to take it off. Other than that, just minor scrapes and bruises. A few cracked ribs but that was all taken care of” he told you and you felt relieved. 

“Thank God!” you breathed.

The vet smiled and glanced at the clock, “It’s past midnight, you should probably be heading home. Do you need a lift?” he asked. You politely refused, it wasn’t too late, and it was only a 20 minute walk back to your apartment. 15 minutes if you took a short cut.

You wished everybody goodnight before you packed your bag and began to walk back home.

You decided to take the short cut, which involved climbing over into an abandoned building. It was dangerous but there was usually no one around to catch you.

You silently climbed over through the wrecked window and walked down the hallway. You were walking across the hall when you heard a groan. You whirled around and saw nothing. You stopped and listened, hiding in the shadows. Then you heard footsteps and muffled voices. You closed your eyes and remembered Natasha’s training.

Two of three men. Heavy footsteps, probably armed and strong. They were dragging something. No- someone. They were groaning in pain and begging. It was a woman.

They dragged her into the room, and you hid behind one of the cupboards and watched by the reflection in the glass. You carefully placed your bag on the ground.

The men were drunk but still strong enough to hold the woman down. You felt infuriated. These men were pigs and there was no one around to save the woman. No one except you. You tried to ignore the woman’s pleas and instead waited for the right time.

It finally came when you saw one of the men unbuckle his pants. You rushed towards the group and punched the man with his pants undone in the nose causing him to topple over. You then focused on the man holding the woman down. You danced over her screams and kicked him in the shins. He released her and swore while you jumped on top of him and elbowed the side of his neck.

You quickly turned, dodging his heavy fist and grabbed the hem of the pants the other man was desperately trying to button up. You pulled him towards you and drove your knee right up his exposed crotch. You were suddenly pulled back and thrown towards the wall. The other man grabbed a chair and threw it at you. 

You fell to the floor to avoid the chair and shielded your head. The two men advanced towards you and you grabbed the broken legs just in time to block a fist coming towards your face. You deflected another punch and stepped into their space, hitting one on the head and stabbing the other in the leg with the stick. 

The stabbed man yelped and stumbled backwards. You turned to look his him when you were hit right on the face and you felt blood dribbling down your nose. You yelled and charged at the man, flipping him onto his back and pinning him down. You heard a scream and saw the woman pointing at the other man who had drawn out a gun. 

You watched in slow motion as he pulled the trigger and you fell to the side just in time. You heard the bullet whiz past you and you rolled on the ground towards him. He tried to fire again but you blocked his hand and broke his wrist. You then knocked him unconscious with a swift kick. 

All was silent as you surveyed the damage. The woman fell to her knees sobbing and you went to get your phone to call the police. 

You gave them the address and were told to stay there in case they had any questions. You wiped the blood from your throbbing nose and gently approached the crying woman who ran into your arms. “Thank you! Thank you!” she sobbed, and you awkwardly pet her shoulder.  
When the police came they arrested the two men and you watched one of them handle them a bit rougher than he should have, making sure he knocked his head against the door frame. You stifled a laugh. The police praised you for your efforts but then scolded you for being out so late.

“We’re going to need a statement so we’ll take you down to the station and you can get yourself cleaned up” said one of the policemen and you nodded.

The woman you had helped was also brought to the station and you spent the trip trying to clean up your face with a packet of baby wipes. 

When you arrived at the station, you noticed that it seemed livelier than usual. The lights were all on and there were a lot of cars parked outside. Maybe there was a massive meeting in the middle of the night. You walked inside and found out why there were so many people. 

Standing in the middle of the room talking to everyone was Captain America, vibranium shield and all. “Fuck” you muttered while cradling your nose.

He caught sight of you and gave you a severely disappointed look. If he was here that definitely meant that Tony was here too. At least. Rogers approached you and the officers, and he thanked them for their hard work before saying that you were coming with him. There were no complaints and so after a few small pleasantries you were being escorted out of the station with Captain America’s vice like grip on your arm to prevent you from running.

A limo pulled up and he pushed you inside before climbing in himself. You scowled and crossed your arms as you surveyed the sight in front of you.

Tony, Natasha and Bucky all sat in the limo with their eyes furrowed. Now that you and Steve had joined them, they turned they piercing eyes on you.

“Okay... In my defence, I didn’t know that this was going to happen” you told them.

You were met with unimpressed looks. The limo got moving and you all sat in silence. Tony looked as though he was trying to figure out what to say. He didn’t seem too mad, just tired. Natasha and Steve on the other hand looked on with great amounts of disapproval. You saw them check you both for injuries and scratch marks. Bucky was looking on impassively and you wondered why they were all here.

When the limo stopped Steve opened the door and you were met with the sight of your apartment building. “Out you get, we’re going to have a chat” ordered Tony and you climbed out with dread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I thought that it would be pretty cool if you were able to use your skills in a new setting. I guess you're on your way to being a hero of sorts. Needless to say, the Avengers caught wind and got worried.


	19. Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically Steve begins to see you in a new light and we get some insight into Steve's thoughts about Tony's little family.

None of them were particularly happy and you still hadn’t figured out why there were all here. All of them except for Tony were dressed as if they were ready for a fight. You didn’t see any guns, but you were willing to bet there were hidden in the car or in Tony’s suitcase.  
You reached your apartment and gestured them inside before locking the doors.

Natasha and Bucky walked around, obviously checking for any listening devices or hidden people. Steve now stood off to the side, still ram rod straight and emanating disapproval. 

“This is cute. I had no idea you lived by yourself” commented Natasha.  
“I’m pretty sure you all did, but anyway...” you scoffed and rolled your eyes. 

You went to go sit on the couch waiting for the scolding to occur. You didn’t need to wait long.

“Y/n, what you did was incredibly dangerous. It is a good thing that Tony was able to track you down so fast otherwise you might have been in a lot more trouble than you are in now” began Steve.

You were confused, “Um first of all it wasn’t even that dangerous. There was only two of them and I have had a lot worse. And how did you all get here so fast anyway?”

Tony ignored your question, “What you did was dangerous. You didn’t have any help, any back up or any weapons in case it got out of hand. You should have called for help!”

“And just wait there? While those two guys were hurting that girl!” you bit back.

“Playing the hero is well and good, but you can’t just run into a fight and expect to win” brought up Bucky.

You turned around to glare at him before facing Tony and Steve again, “I wasn’t playing the hero, I was doing the right thing. When I went through that abandoned house I wasn’t looking for a fight, I just wanted to go home!” you said. “I know I’m not a hero, trust me. But I am not going to sit back and let someone get hurt when I can do something about it!”

That seemed to strike a chord in Steve because an oddly nostalgic expression took over his face. You heard Bucky snort behind you and the mood seemed to lighten.

Tony and Natasha glanced at each other. Seems as though they were just as lost as you were. 

Bucky came up behind you and pat your shoulder, “Don’t worry about it. Steve knows the feeling better than anyone.”

You looked at Steve dead on and he looked away pointedly.

You were satisfied, “Good. So now you have some explaining to do. How did you find me so quick and why are you all here? Four Avengers in Queens when Spiderman is already here. Something must be up.”

“About that...” smiled Tony sheepishly, “whenever you or Peter’s name comes up in any police recordings or database, we are immediately notified.”

“What! Why?” you demanded.

“Just in case one of you gets injured or goes missing. Or gets arrested I suppose, but I hope it doesn’t come down to that” explained Natasha.

You were disgruntled, “But why are you all here?”

Natasha coughed and turned away, “That’s Tony’s fault” she muttered. You lifted an eyebrow.

Tony flushed, “Hey blame this on Steve, he’s the one that got all carried away!” Steve’s eyebrows furrowed as he crossed his arms, “I was just being careful” he responded.

You heard Bucky cackling and you and Steve both turned to glare at him, “What?” you said in synch. He began laughing harder much to everyone’s shock. Bucky rarely laughed like this, not since Hydra.

He pointed at you and Steve, “You both look the exact same!” he grinned. You looked at Steve and back at yourself. You both had your arms crossed and disapproving looks. 

Finally, Tony spoke up, “Okay so when I got the police report it mentioned fighting and someone who had almost been raped. I jumped to conclusions and so I was getting ready to come to you when Steve caught me. He seemed to think that I shouldn’t go alone and so Natasha and Barnes came too” he explained.

You smiled feeling touched by his concern. “I’m guessing Clint was still asleep” you joked. Natasha laughed and shook her head, “He said that you’d be fine.”

“Well thank you. I really appreciate it” you said. You meant it. It was incredibly humbling to have four superheroes in your tiny apartment telling you that they rushed to your aid when they thought that you had been really hurt. 

“I’ve been by myself for a long time and I’ve never really had someone to run after me. So really, thank you” you began, “but I cannot guarantee that this will be the last time I get into trouble. I’m not one to stand by when someone is getting hurt” you finished.

Steve went to go say something, but Bucky cut him off, “You don’t get to talk you little punk” he snarked. Steve’s equally bewildered and happy expression was too much for you and you burst out laughing. 

“So, are you going to go back?” you finally asked. “Well I’m going to stick around. I’ve been meaning to have a vacation for a while now so...” said Tony.

You smiled at him, “Alrighty then. But maybe stick around somewhere else. I’m tired” you told him. Tony saluted and stood up. You quickly asked Natasha for a signature for the vet and she complied but after giving Tony a smug look. Tony roller his eyes and reminded her about how successful the Iron man toys were. They broke into laughter and they all wished you goodnight before filing out of your apartment.

Before she left Natasha gave you one of her rare smiles, “You did good kid.” You smiled back and watched them drive away through your window. 

After showering and getting ready for bed, you sent Peter a text warning him that Tony was in town and might try to surprise him. You laughed to yourself and quickly went to bed.

 

Afterwards:

Natasha decided that she wanted to go back to the compound while Tony, Steve and Bucky stayed. Tony booked them all hotel rooms. His was a floor away from theirs and told them that whenever they wanted to get back, they just had to call for the jet.

They separated, albeit less tensely than they thought.

None of them had been alone together for so long because of unspoken truths and accusations, but they were more carefree tonight. Steve and Tony were finally catching more and more glimpses of the Bucky from before Hydra’s control and were both glad. 

Bucky knew that Tony didn’t blame him anymore and so he tried to make sure that Tony was at ease whenever he was around. But the more time he spent with Tony the more he realised that you were right, the real issue seemed to be between Tony and Steve.

Steve opened the door to his hotel room when Bucky spoke up, “Y/n... remind you of anyone?”  
Steve smiled confused, “Should it?” Bucky shook his head and punched him playfully of the shoulder, “Tiny, quick-tempered and ready to fight whoever is doing the wrong thing” listed Bucky pointedly. Steve chuckled, “Okay, I get the message.”

“What do you think of her? Out of everyone, you’ve probably spent the least amount of time getting to know her and Peter” commented Bucky.

Steve flushed guiltily, “I know... I guess, it’s because they’re just kids. And Tony really cares about them. I don’t want to ruin the little family that he’s built.”

Bucky frowned, “You should talk to him you know. Nothing is going to change if the two of you don’t talk about it.”

Steve hung his head, resigned. Bucky pressed forward, “Usually you have no problem talking things out with people. What’s so different about this time?”

Steve looked up at Bucky and his face was worn and tired, ‘Because I think.... what if- what if I’m the bad guy?” he finally whispered. Bucky surged forward to envelop Steve in a hug.

“You’re not a bad guy, and neither is Tony. Seriously, talk to him” he said gruffly. Steve didn’t reply and Bucky’s mind suddenly flashed back to the tiny kid in Brooklyn that he had first met. The memories were becoming clearer, sharper and both basked in the safety of each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! We're back at it again. I have mostly finished writing the story, I just need to make a few new tweaks at the end. I hope that you're all enjoying it so far!
> 
> In case you didn't pick it up, Bucky was pretty much implying that you and Steve have the same streak for justice despite not being the best person to start a fight (pre-serum Steve anyway...) So Steve begins to understand you a bit more and sees a bit of himself in you, therefore gaining a new sort of respect.
> 
> And thank you so much for the comments and kudos, it makes me happy to know that so many people have enjoyed my work. I have also been informed that Queens isn't that far away from the tower, which is an obvious blunder (I have no sense of location). Any who, just pretend that Tony took them on a massive joyride or something, idk its up to you. 
> 
> Thanks again and I hoped you enjoyed the chapter.


	20. The Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, Bucky gets a dog and Steve and Tony finally talk.

Tony, Steve and Bucky were all holidaying up in Queens and you knew it was only a matter of time before you all saw each other again.

At school you had been given looks for your bruised face, but no one wanted to comment on it. It wouldn’t be the first time that you had gotten into a fight with someone.

The dog that had been in surgery for so long was looking a lot better and you made sure that you were at work as much as possible to check on his recovery. Without a leg, he seemed to be more reserved and anxious than the other dogs. He would occasionally lash out, but the vet told you that patience and care was key.

It had been a few days of you tending to his food and water when he had finally approached you. He hopped up to you and tenderly poked you with his nose. You let him sniff you before you carefully stroked behind his ears. His tail wagged and he lay down gently while he let you pet him.

Once everyone decided that he liked you so much they put you in charge of rehabilitation. Every day you would take him out for a slow walk just to get used to walking with only three legs. It was difficult at first, but the dog was a quick learner.

You had decided to bring him a little further out to the park where he absolutely loved it. He still stayed close to you and growled at anyone who came close, but he loved sniffing the grass and writhing around in it. You laughed and was glad that he was enjoying yourself.

Then a group of teenagers approached with a large dog and it went absolutely wild. It came up to you and the three legged dog barking. It didn’t have a leash and the kids weren’t doing anything about it either. It ignored the warning growls and you got ready to pull your dog back when your dog lunged forward and bit the larger dog’s nose.

It howled and struck back but you were quicker. You scooped up your dog and kicked the offender backwards. You felt bad for kicking it so hard, but it was a bully and was not afraid to hurt you or your dog.

One of the kids came over, “Hey! How dare you kick my dog!” he shouted. Your dog was still in your arms and you peered over his head to see the teen approaching you.

“Your dog should have been on a leash. Or at least be trained to not attack others” you retorted.

The group came up and one of the girls gave you a dirty look before whispering to her friend. You shot her a glare right back. It was easy to identify these kids. They came from wealthy families and all wore designer clothes. “Scram” you told them. You were already annoyed at their obviously attack-trained dog off a leash, but their attitude was ticking you off even more.

You set your dog down and he scrambled to his feet beside you. It was an odd looking stand off until a voice called out, “Hey! What’s going on here.” You turned around and it was Steve and Bucky in civilian clothes. The group of teens smirked before putting on an annoyingly pouty, “This girl just kicked my dog! She shouldn’t be allowed near other people! She’s a menace”

“I’ll show you whose a menace you piece of sh-” you advanced towards him before a firm hand gripped your shoulder.

“Don’t try that with me kids. Get that dog on a leash and leave people alone” said Steve sternly. The said dog crept up again and got ready to pounce. You called out too late as it leapt towards Bucky, but Bucky managed to catch it mid air and set it back down much gentler than you would have. He yanked the leash from the boy’s limp fingers and attached it to the dog.

Bucky bared his teeth, “Scram” he growled, and they did.

You stood there still angry, your previously good mood soured. “So, you get into fights often?” asked Bucky. “No!” you exclaimed and bent down to check on your dog.

Steve had let go of you and also crouched down to let your dog sniff his hand. He noticed that it only had three legs. “What happened here?” he asked. You explained what had happened.

“Does this little fella have a name?” asked Bucky who had sat down next to the dog. You shook your head, “Not yet, he’s not really mine and we’re not sure what to do with him.” You smiled sadly as the dog licked Bucky’s metal fingers. 

Suddenly a thought occurred to you, “Why not name it after you?” you offered, and Bucky looked taken aback. You wanted to kick yourself for how inconsiderate that was, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to offend you... But you have both been through a lot and survived” you apologized.

Steve smiled up at you, “Actually that’s not a bad idea Y/n.” He seemed quite smitten with the dog and cooed when it rolled over so Steve could scratch its belly. “He likes you,” you told him, “When I first tried to touch him he tried to bite my hand off. He was probably really anxious, but he seems to have recovered nicely.”

Bucky joined in on the petting and the three of you played with the dog. “Winter” finally said Bucky. You and Steve tuned to him, “Lets call him Winter” he repeated.

“Cool! Winter it is” you smiled. “I have to get back to the clinic now, you guys are welcome to tag along” you told them. They nodded, “Why not” reasoned Steve.

You walked on ahead, leading the way with Winter but you could see Steve and Bucky whispering about something. You dismissed it as being Avengers business. 

You got back to the clinic and saw that Steve and Bucky were on the phone outside. “You were gone for a little while, everything alright?” asked one of the nurses. You smiled, “I’m all good. And I figured out a name for the little guy! Winter” you exclaimed.

She smiled, “Sounds great!”

Later that night you had received a text from the vet clinic.

“Y/n! You won’t believe what happened. Tony Stark walked in and demanded to adopt Winter. He straight up paid for everything and I heard him mentioning about building him a new leg! Did you have anything to do with this? You’re interning at his company right?” it read.

You texted back, “I had no idea.”

 

A couple hours earlier:

Steve and Bucky waited at Tony’s hotel room and gaped at the large space. Tony came back with some drinks, “Okay so what was it that you wanted to talk about?” he smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes and he although he had a smile plastered on his face, it was becoming clearer and clearer that it was a mask.

“Well... We want to adopt a dog for the Avengers” stated Bucky. 

Tony’s face scrunched in confusion and Steve could visibly see the gears turning in his head, clearly not expecting that answer. Bucky nodded sagely while Steve sat awkwardly watching the exchange. “I’m sorry did I hear you right? A dog? For the Avengers?” Tony finally asked.

Bucky nodded, “He’s got three legs” he said as if it explained everything. Bucky had a determined look on his face and Tony looked at him quizzically. “Maybe you’ve had enough to drink...” he joked and carefully pushed Bucky’s glass away from him.

Bucky’s answers were short and vague, but not curt enough to be considered rude. Tony was, at this point, so thoroughly confused that he looked into his own glass suspiciously. 

Steve wondered what Bucky was doing until it hit him. In the face. With a metal arm. Bucky was botching things on purpose so Steve would be forced to interact with Tony more. Bucky winked at him Steve tried to send his thoughts about this to Bucky through sheer will power, “You little shit” he thought while Bucky smugly ignored him.

Steve sighed and decided to go along with it. “Yes. Earlier today we saw Y/n with a three legged dog. He really took a shine to Bucky and we played for the whole afternoon” he explained.

Tony hmmed and gestured for Steve to continue. Steve fought the urge to roll his eyes, “I’m being dead serious. I think that it’ll be really good for the team. Besides, he really took a shine to Bucky” Steve continued.

Tony lifted an eyebrow, “Is that all?” 

Steve blurted out, “We named him Winter...” Tony’s eyes sharpened, and Bucky gave Steve a warning glace. Obviously Tony knew what Winter alluded to and it brought back painful times.

Steve ignored Bucky, he had known Tony for years and was his team mate and friend for the most of it. He knew what made Tony tick, now more than ever and he knew what to say to convince Tony.

“We were thinking that it could really help with Bucky’s rehabilitation. He hadn’t completely healed over, and it would be good to have something associated with the Winter Solider that isn’t Hydra’s. Dogs are great companion animals and have been known to help people through trauma. I know it’s a long shot, but it couldn’t hurt to try,” he said gently “And Winter needs a home, now more than ever. Dogs with only three legs don’t make it far and Y/n is too young to adopt him herself” Steve finished.

Steve watched Tony intently and for the first time in months, they looked each other in the eye and came to an understanding.

Steve was nervous, Tony knew that, and Tony cared. Bucky sidelined himself so that they could have this moment as privately as possible. Finally, Tony’s mask broke and a true smile erupted from his features.

“Winter, right? Sounds like the perfect addition to the family! I’ve always wanted a dog...” he grinned.

Steve looked ecstatic while Tony lost himself in future plans for the three legged dog, “Hmmm, maybe I’ll build him a new leg. We need toys. Lots of toys. And whose gonna be his favourite...” he mumbled to himself.

In that moment both Steve and Tony looked so carefree, observed Bucky. 

Steve didn’t look weighed down by the responsibilities of leading the world’s only superhero group. He looked like the Captain America that had fought with Bucky all those years ago- strong and proud. 

Tony’s face no longer seemed weary from sleepless nights and many burdens of the public’s scrutiny. He looked like the billionaire, playboy, philanthropist that Bucky had heard so much about. He was seemed younger and not so jaded. His eyes sparkled with mirth and a hint of mischievousness. 

Bucky leant back in his chair and smiled smugly, things were finally patching up.


	21. Family Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay! The gang is back together again. This is pretty much just a cute chapter but if you pay attention, you'll notice that something is up.

Eventually Steve, Tony and Bucky left with Winter back to the Avengers Compound and you were left to finish the high school year without any drama. You and Peter had continued to work as a team, with you on the sidelines making sure that he wasn’t stretching himself too thin and that he kept on top of everything he had to do.

Aunt May had eventually found out about Spiderman and she had put you, Ned and Peter in the same sinking boat as she ranted on about how dangerous everything was. You and Ned tried to calm her down and a few swear words later she had devised a compromise. 

Now Peter had a curfew and had nights where he wasn’t allowed to go out at all. It wasn’t that big of a change to be honest, but you did notice that Peter was a whole lot less stressed than before now that he didn’t have to hide from his aunt all the time.

You had kept on working on the formula for Peter’s and by extension Bucky’s and Steve’s pain meds much to Ned’s confusion. “I don’t get it, why not just use horse tranquilisers or something? They do it in the movies.” You rolled you eyes and explained why that was a bad idea in the long run. “Ned, they’re made for horses not people!” you exclaimed.

You also tried to keep up on your training from Natasha and Clint. You knew that in the upcoming holidays you were probably go back to the internship and they would be waiting to test you. 

Luckily, Jack Winchester (aka the guy who invited you to Homecoming) had offered to help. His two brothers were also trying to train him up a little. You asked him what for, but he answered with a simple “Hunting...” You hadn’t pushed it and was grateful when he didn’t push you.

Sam and Dean were surprisingly good fighters. They didn’t have the same level of efficiency and technique as Clint and Natasha, but they were formidable and almost as good. You had also surprised them by knocking Dean into the dust the first time you sparred. They were trying to figure out where you were at and were obviously taking it pathetically easy on you. You were getting annoyed and so quickly punched Dean in the face and swept his feet out, pinning him to the ground.

Dean gawked while Sam whooped. From then on they treated you with a lot more respect and even began teaching you some of their tricks. They were rough fighters and mainly used more of a military style of combat. They were frighteningly good, and you wondered what their actual jobs were. You knew that they had a shed filled with guns and knives that seemed a bit overboard for hunting, but you often let it slide.

One day, when you were at Jack’s house and was just watching TV the news came on announcing that Thor had decided to come back to Earth. Bruce Banner was also with him. “Interesting” you commented as you grabbed a packet of chips. Jack shrugged, “Yeah I wonder where they’ve been.”

It was getting late, so you thanked the Winchesters and started to go back to your apartment. You idly wondered how Winter was getting along with the rest of the Avengers. You remembered seeing a few news articles with pictures of Bucky and Winter walking around and the people loved it. Everyone thought that it was absolutely adorable, and Bucky got a lot of good PR. 

The media had dubbed it “Winter and the Soldier” which wasn’t really that amazing, but it was simple enough that it caught on. Now Bucky would be referred to as merely ‘The Soldier’ in social media and the news.

There was only one more week of school left, and you had already finished most of your exams. Peter was already making deals with May about where he could go now that she knew what the Stark Internship really was. She ended up scolding you as well, making you promise that you would stop getting into fights.

The Leeds were mostly in the dark, but they knew you and Peter enough to know that you were always getting into trouble, so they also gave you a little talking to. Ned was laughing in the corner the whole time.

You had reached your apartment and you felt the hairs at the back of your next prickle. You swivelled around and took on a defensive stance as you faced the empty hall. There was no one there. You quickly unlocked the door and rushed inside, making sure to lock it as quickly as possible.

You kept the door in your peripheral vision as you quickly swept your apartment for anything out of the ordinary. Your apartment was fairly open so it would be hard for someone to hide. Likewise, it would be hard for you to hide if someone tried to come in. You didn’t know why you were so on edge. There didn’t seem to be any trouble, but your body was jumpy and tense. You tried to calm your breathing, but your heart kept pounding in your chest.

And as if nothing had happened, the feeling went away. It was like you had been doused in water after a dream and your mind was working clearly again. What previously seemed like a dangerous situation turned back to normal as the late afternoon sun penetrated your windows. You had no idea what to make of the situation and figured it was probably due to sparring for so long. Your body was just getting paranoid.

You shook your head and continued to your room where you had begun packing for the holidays. Tony had already told you and Peter that he would be sending a plane to pick both of you up 2 the day that the holidays begun so you had to make sure everything was ready. You always travelled light since you didn’t really have that much time or money to buy new clothes. 

You sighed and flopped onto your bed idly wondering what the Avengers were doing now that Thor and Banner were back. 

*A few Days and a plane ride later*  
Finally you and Peter were back at the Avengers compound. Happy had driven you both in and you were now getting your suitcases out of the car.

“Y/n! Peter! You’re back!” exclaimed Wanda as she ran out to greet you. You smiled and her and gave her a hug. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Sam and Steve. They looked as though they had just been out on a run.

They smiled brightly and you and Peter and jogged over to where you were waiting at the car. 

“I’d say that you’ve grown but both of you are still tiny!” laughed Sam. You gave him a playful glare as Peter spluttered, “Hey big talk from someone who I beat in a fight!” he retorted.

Sam’s eyes widened as he started ranting about how Peter didn’t actually win. You, Peter and Wanda were laughing as he told his version of the airport story. Steve let out a quick laugh and pat you on the shoulder, “It’s good to have the two of you back” he smiled warmly. “It’s good to be back” you told him.

Steve and Sam offered to carry your and Peter’s bags but you both politely refused. After some unrelenting (forceful) persuasion, you and Peter finally gave in. You had been a bit jet lagged but seeing everyone again gave you a bubbly feeling and you couldn’t stop smiling.

When you reached the common room Steve announced that you and Peter were here. Tony, who was asleep on the counter, shot up and briskly walked over to where you and Peter stood. He came in for a hug and you hugged him tightly, “Missed you!” Tony flushed happily as he enveloped Peter in a quick hug.

“Now that’s never happening again” Tony scoffed at Peter’s awe struck expression. You all laughed, and Steve grinned at Tony. You watched them interact and they seemed to be very comfortable with each other. It was about time. 

“Sorry I didn’t come down to greet you, someone didn’t wake me up!” Tony pursed his lips and looked into the vents. You looked up as well and couldn’t see anything. Sam also looked confused until he realised. “What? I don’t get it!” complained Peter.

Wanda raised her hands and they shone with scarlet light as she unlatched the vents above the counter where Tony had been sleeping. Clint fell out with a screech, but he still managed to land perfectly on his feet. He was crouched down and had his arms out in front of him but he relaxed his posture when he saw everyone looking at him.

He smiled sheepishly at Tony before locking eyes with you and Peter. “Spider kid and my favourite student are back! Since when?” he shouted and quickly made his way over to were you and Peter were. Sam grabbed him and begun lecturing him about all the dust he had on his clothes. You laughed as Clint sneezed on Sam’s shirt, causing Sam to look like Clint had kicked a puppy or something.

Clint ruffled Peter’s hair and gave you a quick once over, “You’ve been training!” he yelled happily before hugging you. He grabbed your arm and began poking your bicep. “Steve! I think you have some competition here. Y/n’s gained some muscle!” he cackled, and you stomped on his foot the same time Natasha threw a bottle at his head.

Everyone laughed and Natasha greeted you and Peter. Tony had doubled over, “First Peter and now Y/n, soon you old men will be in a retirement home!” he laughed at Steve. Steve had flushed and had a petulant look on his face, “You can’t get rid of me that easily!”

Tony chuckled and clapped him over the shoulder. You grinned at Wanda who winked at you. “Welcome back Peter and Y/n. You have been missed!” chimed in Friday. “Friday!” shouted Peter as he went to hug the nearest wall. You smiled happily as you basked in the presence of the Avengers. You had missed them so much.

Everyone had crowded around you and Peter and were eagerly informing you of what had happened while you both had been away.   
Natasha had shot one of Clint’s toes during a mission and he had complained the whole time. He had even forced Steve to carry him princess style back to the base much to Steve’s displeasure. Clint had offered to show you the scar, but you didn’t really want to have his feet that close to your face.

Sam had almost throttled Steve when Steve had beaten him at Mario Cart stating that an ‘old man has no business winning modern games!’

Tony had been half asleep when he had come into the communal area and had accidently made himself a sandwich that had slices of popcorn, watermelon and coffee beans in it. Clint and Sam had been silently betting over whether or not he would actually eat it until Wanda had told Steve what was happening, and he had taken it away from Tony. Wanda made him an egg and lettuce sandwich instead while Tony had pawed desperately at the coffee maker.

Wanda was about to add to the story when you heard rough panting and a bark. A few moments later Winter bounded in with a new prosthetic leg. He had grown a bit and was now at a healthy weight. He looked well taken care of as he coat looked shiny and thick. “Hey! Come back here!” yelled Bucky as he ran in after Winter.

Winter jumped up at you and you quickly went to catch him. He was way bigger now, and your strength was really getting put to the test. He gave you a few sniffs before barking happily. You out him back onto the floor while Peter fawned over him. 

Bucky looked different too. He looked happier and the permanent dark circles under his eyes had disappeared. He seemed so much more at ease with himself and the team as he beamed at you and Peter. “Welcome back!” he greeted before giving you a half hug. He went to stand next to Steve and Winter soon joined him. Winter sat at his heel and looked adoringly up at Bucky. They made quite the pair with the high tech metal limbs and happy faces. 

“Winter and Bucky are quite taken to each other. Winter has really helped Bucky and the team a lot” explained Natasha. Steve nodded, “Yeah, and everyone loves him. Thank you for introducing us” he said. You smiled and waved him off, “It’s fine, I’m glad that they’re happy.”

A booming voice then entered, “I see we have visitors! This must be the young man of spiders, Peter. And you must be the great student of Barton and Romanoff!” greeted Thor.

Peter went absolutely wild, “Oh my god Thor knows my name! I’m meeting Thor!” he mumbled to himself. You were a bit in awe as well. He was different from when you had seen him on TV. His hair was shorter now and he wore more casual clothes. He was enormous and filled up the entire doorway. He came up to you and Peter and gave each of you a solid handshake.   
He seemed pleased with your and Peter’s awe-struck faces and smiled at you.

“I’ve just realised that you haven’t officially met Thor yet. Well, kids this is Thor Odinson, God of Thunder and King of Asgard and all that. Thor, meet the kids. You seem to know who they are” chimed in Tony.

“I have heard great things about you both” confided Thor warmly. “Really?” asked Peter.

Thor nodded, enjoying being the centre of attention, “Oh yes, Tony enjoys talking about the both of you a great deal. I have seen many pictures and videos and-” Thor was cut off by a blushing Tony. 

“Okay that’s enough of that... Why don’t you two go up to your rooms!” he exclaimed loudly. You and Peter agreed and were accompanied by Steve and Sam who had grabbed your bags again. You waved everyone goodbye and told them that you would be back soon.

“I heard that Bruce Banner is back too? Can we meet him?” asked Peter excitedly. You nodded along, “Yeah! Where is he?” you chimed in.

Steve smiled and put your bags down in your room, “I think he’s resting now but I’ll be sure to introduce you. He and Thor have had quite the trip” he explained.

Steve and Sam looked at each other quickly before announcing that they would leave you and Peter alone to unpack. You smiled and thanked them, but inside you wondered what was going on. Everyone seemed to be fine, but then why would Steve and Sam give each other that kind of look? It was probably something to do with Thor and Bruce, so you didn’t want to push it, but there was something that they weren’t telling you and Peter.

“You alright there?” asked Peter breaking you out of your thoughts. You began lugging your suitcase into your room, “Yeah I’m alright”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I'm sorry I've been away but things just got super busy. I hope that you guys enjoyed it! Also, again I squished a bit of Supernatural in there, and it might even become a plot point if I feel up to it. But don't worry, it'll stay subtle. And yes, I finally brought in Thor. If you haven't noticed, I'm pretending Infinity War and Endgame don't exist.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you are enjoying it so far! I just kind of wanted to note that there are no pairings. I am trying to make it as realistic as possible for someone about 16-18 years old so that means that most of the Avengers consider you as a kid. As for Peter, I'm still deciding on that one. But so far, this will probably be a platonic relationship sort of thing.


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